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Bahai’s Shrines Inscribed on the World Heritage List

// July 8th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // bahai

Moments ago, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed the Shrine of Baha’u'llah and the Shrine of the Bab, the two most sacred places on earth for members of the Bahai Religion, on the World Heritage list. With this inscription, the Committee determined that these two sites possess “outstanding universal value” and they must be considered part of the cultural heritage of the world.

The UNESCO World Heritage List recognizes natural habitats as well as man made buildings and sites that the World Heritage Committee considers to have “outstanding universal value”. There are over 850 properties and sites in the world that are to-date on this list, including: the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids and the Sydney Opera House. The sites and properties on the list are awarded special recognition and are given extra care in matters relating to conservation and protection.

The inscription of the Baha’is sites are of particular importance as they are the first sites connected to a religious tradition born in modern times. With this inscription, the history and founding figures of the Baha’i Religion are being recognized; their importance in history and their influence on the world can no longer be denied… as some countries in the Middle East repeatedly like to do.

From the Bahai News Service:
“The two shrines, one near the recognized heritage site of Old Acre on Israel’s northern coast and the other on Mount Carmel in Haifa, are the resting places of Bahá’u'lláh and the Báb, the founders of the Bahá’í Faith.

Bahá’ís believe that both Bahá’u'lláh and the Báb were messengers of God; their resting places are sites of pilgrimage for a religious community of some five million believers. The shrine of Bahá’u'lláh is the focal point of prayer for Bahá’ís all over the world, giving it an importance comparable to the Western Wall in Jerusalem for Jews and the Kaaba in Mecca for Muslims.

Born in Iran, Baha’u'llah was banished to Acre in what was then the Ottoman Empire, where he died in 1892. The Bab was executed in Iran in 1850, and His remains were later moved to Haifa for burial.

The two shrines are noteworthy for the formal gardens that surround them, blending design elements from many cultures. In addition to Bahá’í pilgrims, they attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and tourists every year”.

for more information go HERE