 The Mansion of Bahá'u'lláh. Note the Turkish style paintings above the windows.
The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh and its gardens. The gold circle on the portico is inscribed with the Greatest Name.
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The Holy Family's move out of 'Akká marked the end of Bahá'u'lláh's forty years of exile and imprisonment. His eldest son, Abdu'l-Bahá rented a small house north of 'Akká for Him called Mazra'ih (C-106). Some years later They rented a mansion in an area of Bahjí. Bahjí, which means "Delight," is located on the northern plain of 'Akká (D-42). Around the Mansion of Bahá'u'lláh there were some other houses, an olive grove and plenty of vegetation. Bahá'u'lláh lived modestly here in relative peace for the last twelve years of His life. On the May, 29th in 1892, Bahá'u'lláh's Spirit ascended from this mansion. That day 'Abdu'l-Bahá placed His sacred remains in the floor an adjacent house. The house was then the Qiblih of the Bahá'í Faith where each day Bahá'ís face in prayer and devotion (C-123). 'Abdu'l-Bahá later added a protective stone wall around that room, which is seen in the lower photo in the upper right hand side behind a pine tree. Since then the Shrine has been prepared for the steady stream of pilgrims who visit it. The roof of the Shrine is tile, and its outer walls are local stone plastered and painted white. Under the atrium is a prayer room with a small ornamental garden surrounded by Persian rugs. As pilgrims pray they face the tomb of Bahá'u'lláh in adoration. Abdu'l-Bahá's grandson, Shoghi Effendi, later added the front portico and expanded formal gardens around both the Mansion and Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh. The ornaments and design of the Bahjí gardens hold no spiritual significance in themselves but serve in their beauty to prepare people for the bounty of visiting the Shrine. |
