Bahá’í World/Volume 12/The Completion of the Construction of the Sepulcher of the Báb in the Holy Land, 1953
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VI
THE COMPLETION OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SEPULCHER OF THE BÁB IN THE HOLY LAND, 1953
1. ENTOMBMENT OF THE BÁB’S REMAINS ON MT. CARMEL
From GOD PASSES BY*
By SHOGHI EFFENDI
WTHIN a few months of the historic decree which set Him free, in the very year that witnessed the downfall of Sulṭán ‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd, that same power from on high which had enabled ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to preserve inviolate the rights divinely conferred on Him, to establish His Father’s Faith in the North American continent, and to triumph over His royal oppressor, enabled Him to achieve one of the most signal acts of His ministry: the removal of the Báb’s remains from their place of concealment in Ṭihrán to Mt. Carmel. He Himself testified, on more than one occasion, that the safe transfer of these remains, the construction of a befitting mausoleum to receive them, and their final interment with His own hands in their permanent resting-place constituted one of the three principal objectives which, ever since the inception of His mission, He had conceived it His paramount duty to achieve. This act indeed deserves to rank as one of the outstanding events in the first Bahá’í century.
As observed in a previous chapter the mangled bodies of the Báb and His fellow-martyr, Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí, were removed, in the middle of the second night
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*From Chapter XVIII.
following their execution, through the pious intervention of Ḥájí Sulaymán Khán, from the edge of the moat where they had been cast to a silk factory owned by one of the believers of Milan, and were laid the next day in a wooden casket, and thence carried to a place of safety. Subsequently, according to Bahá’u’lláh’s instructions, they were transported to Ṭihrán and placed in the shrine of Imám-Zádih Ḥasan. They were later removed to the residence of Ḥájí Sulaymán Khán himself in the Sar-Chashmih quarter of the city, and from his house were taken to the shrine of Imám-Zádih Ma‘ṣúm, where they remained concealed until the year 1284 A.H. (1867-1868), when a Tablet, revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in Adrianople, directed Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar-i-Shahmírzádí and Jamál-i-Burújirdí to transfer them without delay to some other spot, an instruction which, in view of the subsequent reconstruction of that shrine, proved to have been providential.
Unable to find a suitable place in the suburb of Sháh ‘Abdu’l-‘Aẓím, Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar and his companion continued their search until, on the road leading to Chashmih-‘Alí, they came upon the abandoned and dilapidated Masjid-i-Mashá’u’lláh, where they deposited, within one of its
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walls, after dark, their precious burden, having first re-wrapt the remains in a silken shroud brought by them for that purpose. Finding the next day to their consternation that the hiding—place had been discovered, they clandestinely carried the casket through the gate of the capital direct to the house of Mirzá Hasan-i-Vazir, a believer and son-inlaw of Hájí Mirzá Siyyid ‘Aliy-i-Tafrishí, the Majdu’l-Ashráf, where it remained for no less than fourteen months. The long-guarded secret of its whereabouts becoming known to the believers, they began to visit the house in such numbers that a communication had to be addressed by Mullá ‘Alí-Akbar to Bahá’u’lláh, begging for guidance in the matter. Ḥájí Sháh Muḥammad-i-Manshádí, surnamed Aminu’l—Bayán, was accordingly commissioned to receive the Trust from him, and bidden to exercise the utmost secrecy as to its disposal.
Assisted by another believer, Ḥájí Sháh Muḥammad buried the casket beneath the floor of the inner sanctuary of the shrine of Imám-Zádih Zayd, where it lay undetected until Mírzá Asadu’lláh-i-Iṣfáhání was informed of its exact location through a chart forwarded to him by Bahá’u’lláh. Instructed by Bahá’u’lláh to conceal it elsewhere, he first removed the remains to his own house in Ṭihrán, after which they were deposited in several other localities such as the house of Ḥusayn-‘Aliy-i-Iṣfáhání and that of Muḥammad-Karím-i-‘Attár, where they remained hidden until the year 1316 (1899) A.H., when, in pursuance of directions issued by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, this same Mirzá Asadu’llah, together with a number of other believers, transported them by way of Iṣfáhán, Kirmánsháh, Baghdád and Damascus, to Beirut and thence—by sea to ‘Akká, arriving at their destination on the 19th of the month of Ramadan 1316 A.H. (January 31, 1899), fifty lunar years after the Báb’s execution in Tabríz.
In the same year that this precious Trust reached the shores of the Holy Land and was delivered into the hands of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, He, accompanied by Dr. Ibrahím KhIayru’lláh, whom He had already honored with the titles of “Bahá’s Peter,” “The Second Columbus” and “Conqueror Of America,” drove to the recently purchased site which had been blessed and selected by Bahá’u’lláh on Mt. Carmel, and there laid, with His own hands, the foundation-stone of the edifice, the construction of which He, a
few months later, was to commence. About that same time, the marble sarcophagus, designed to receive the body of the Báb, an offering of love from the Bahá’ís of Rangoon, had, at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s suggestion, been completed and shipped to Haifa.
No need to dwell on the manifold problems and preoccupations which, for almost a decade, continued to beset ‘Abdu’l-Bahá until the victorious hour when He was able to bring to a final consummation the historic task entrusted to Him by His Father. The risks and perils with which Bahá’u’lláh and later His Son had been confronted in their efforts to insure, during half a century, the protection of those remains were but a prelude to the grave dangers which, at a later period, the Center of the Covenant Himself had to face in the course of the construction of the edifice designed to receive them, and indeed until the hour of His final release from His incarceration.
The long-drawn out negotiations with the shrewd and calculating owner of the building-site of the holy Edifice, who, under the influence of the Covenant—breakers, refused for a long time to sell; the exorbitant price at first demanded for the opening of a road leading to that site and indispensable to the work of construction; the interminable objections raised by officials, high and low, whose easily aroused suspicions had to be allayed by repeated explanations and assurances given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself; the dangerous situation created by the monstrous accusations brought by Mírzá Muḥammad-‘Alí and his associates regarding the character and purpose of that building; the delays and complications caused by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s prolonged and enforced absence from Haifa, and His consequent inability to supervise in person the vast undertaking He had initiated—all these were among the principal obstacles which He, at so critical a period in His ministry, had to face and surmount ere He could execute in its entirety the Plan, the outline of which Bahá’u’lláh had communicated to Him on the occasion of one of His visits to Mt. Carmel.
“Every stone of that building, every stone of the road leading to it,” He, many a time was heard to remark, “I have with infinite tears and at tremendous cost, raised and placed in position.” “One night,” He, according to an eye-witness, once observed, “1 was so hemmed in by My anxieties that I
had no other recourse than to recite and repeat over and over again a prayer of the Bab which I had in My possession, the recital of which greatly calmed Me. The next morning the owner of the plot himself came to Me, apologized and begged Me to purchase his property.”
Finally, in the very year His royal adversary lost his throne, and at the time of the opening of the first American Bahá’í Convention, convened in Chicago for the purpose of creating a permanent national organization for the construction of the Mashriqu’l-Atfltkar, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá brought His undertaking to a successful conclusion, in spite of the incessant machinations of enemies both within and without. On the 28th of the month of Safar 1327 A.H., the day of the first 2 (1909) which He celebrated after His release from His confinement, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had the marble sarcophagus transported with great labor to the vault prepared for it, and in the evening, by the light of a single lamp, He laid within it, with His own hands—in the presence of believers from the East and from the West and in circumstances at once solemn and moving—the wooden casket containing the sacred remains of the Báb and His companion.
When all was finished, and the earthly remains of the Martyr-Prophet of Shíráz were, at long last, safely deposited for their everlasting rest in the bosom of God’s holy mountain, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who had cast aside His turban, removed His shoes and thrown off His cloak, bent low over the still open sarcophagus, His silver hair waving about His head and His face transfigured and luminous, rested His forehead on the border of the wooden casket, and, sobbing aloud, wept with such a weeping that all those who were present wept with Him. That night He could not sleep, so overwhelmed was He with emotion.
“The most joyful tidings is this,” He wrote later in a Tablet announcing to His followers the news of this glorious victory, "that the holy, the luminous body of the Bab . . . after having for sixty years been transferred from place to place, by reason of the ascendancy of the enemy, and from fear of the malevolent, and having known neither rest nor tranquillity has, through the mercy of the Abhá’ Beauty, been ceremoniously deposited, on the day of Iṣfáhán, within the sacred casket. in the exalted
Shrine on Mt. Carmel . . . By a strange
coincidence, on that same day of Iṣfáhán,
a cablegram was received from Chicago,
announcing that the believers in each of the
American centers had elected a delegate and
sent to that city . . . and definitely decided
on the site and construction of
the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.”
With the transference of the remains of the Báb—Whose advent marks the return of the Prophet Elijah—to Mt. Carmel, and their interment in that holy mountain, not far from the cave of that Prophet Himself, the Plan so gloriously envisaged by Bahá’u’lláh, in the evening of His life, had been at last executed, and the arduous labors associated with the early and tumultuous years of the ministry of the appointed Center of His Covenant crowned with immortal success. A focal center of Divine illumination and power, the very dust of which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá averred had inspired Him, yielding in sacredness to no other shrine throughout the Bahá’í world except the Sepulcher of the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation Himself, had been permanently established on that mountain, regarded from time immemorial as sacred. A structure, at once massive, simple and imposing; nestling in the heart of Carmel, the “Vineyard of God”; flanked by the Cave of Elijah on the west, and by the hills of Galilee on the east; backed by the plain of Sharon, and facing the silver—city of ‘Akká, and beyond it the Most Holy Tomb, the Heart and Qiblih of the Bahá’í world; overshadowing the colony of German Templars who, in anticipation of the “coming of the Lord,” had forsaken their homes and foregathered at the foot of that mountain, in the very year of Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration in Baghdád (1863), the mausoleum of the Báb had now, with heroic effort and in impregnable strength been established as “the Spot round which the Concourse on high circle in adoration.” Events have already demonstrated through the extension of the Edifice itself, through the embellishment of its surroundings, through the acquisition of extensive endowments in its neighborhood, and through its proximity to the resting—places of the wife. the son and daughter of Bahá’u’lláh Himself, that it was destined to acquire with the passing of the years a measure of fame and glory commensurate with the high purpose that had prompted its founding. Nor will it, as the years go by, and the institutions revolving
around the World Administrative Center of the future Bahá’í Commonwealth are gradually established, cease to manifest the latent potentialities with which that same immutable purpose has endowed it. Resistlessly will this Divine institution flourish and expand, however fierce the animosity which its future enemies may evince, until the full measure of its splendor will have been disclosed before the eyes of all mankind. "Haste thee, 0 Carmel!” Bahá’u’lláh, significantly addressing that holy mountain, has written, “for lo, the light of the Countenance of God . . . hath been lifted upon thee . . . Rejoice, for God hath, in this Day, established upon thee H is throne, hath made thee the dawning—place of His signs and the dayspring of the evidences of His
Revelation. Well is it with him that circleth
around thee, that proclaimeth the revelation
of thy glory, and recounteth that which the
bounty of the Lord thy God hath showered
upon thee.” “Call out to Zion, O Carmel!”
He, furthermore, has revealed in that same
Tablet, “and announce the joyful tidings:
He that was hidden from mortal eyes is
come! His all-conquering sovereignty is
manifest; His all—encompassing splendor is
revealed. Beware lest thou hesitate or halt.
Hasten forth and circumambulate the City
of God that hath descended from heaven,
the celestial Kaaba round which have circled
in adoration the favored of God, the
pure in heart, and the company of the most
exalted angels.”
2. CONSTRUCTION OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE OF THE SHRINE OF THE BÁB
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE GUARDIAN
(a)
I AM) happy (to) announce (the) completion of plans and specifications for (the) erection of (the) arcade surrounding the Bab’s Sepulcher, constituting (the) first step in (the) process destined to culminate in (the) construction of the Dome anticipated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and marking (the) consummation of (an) enterprise initiated by Him fifty years ago according to instructions given Him by Bahá’u’lláh.
Announce (to the) friends (the) completion, (on the) eve (of) Naw-Rúz, (of the) erection (of) parapet crowning (the) eastern facade (of) Holy Shrine one year after placing (the) first threshold stones upon (the) foundation (of the) arcade. (The) beauty (and) majesty (of the) finely carved panels surmounting (the) soaring arches spanning (the) rosy monolith columns, emblazoned with emerald green and scarlet mosaic symbolizing (the) Bab’s lineage and martyrdom, (is) strikingly revealed, (The) original pearl—like structure raised by (the) hands (of the) Center (of the) Covenant, enshrining (the) remains (of the) Martyr Prophet (of the) Faith, acquiring, through
construction (of the) shell designed (for) its embellishment (and) preservation, additional height by one-third, additional width by one-fifth, enhancing (the) massiveness (of the) edifice embosomed (in the) Mountain of God, heralding (the) erection (of the) lofty gilded dome that will eventually shine forth in solitary splendor from its heart.
(b)
(On the) occasion (of the) fivefold historic celebration—(the) dedication (for) public worship (of the) holiest Mashriqu’l-Adhkár (of the) Bahá’í world; (the) convocation (of the) Second Intercontinental Teaching Conference (of the) Holy Year; (the) Anniversary (of the) Declaration (of) Bahá’u’lláh (in the) Garden of Riḍván; (the) holding (of the) Forty—Fifth American Bahá’í Convention, (and the) launching (of the) epochal, global spiritual Crusade, marking (the) climax (of the) festivities associated (with the) Centenary (of the) Birth (of) Bahá’u’lláh’s Mission—announce (to) His followers (of) East (and) West (that the) final phase (of the) construction (of the) Báb’s Sepulcher (has
been) ushered in through (the) erection (of) scaffolding (for the) completion (of the) shuttering (of the) dome.
Forty-four gilded tiles out of (a) total (of) twelve thousand, designed (to) cover two hundred fifty square meter surface (of the) dome (were) placed (in) permanent position (on the) eve (of the) ninth day of the) Ninetieth Anniversary (of the) Riḍván Festival. (On the) afternoon (of the) same day, during (the) course (of a) moving ceremony (in the) presence (of) pilgrims (and) resident believers (of) ‘Akká (and) Haifa, (there was) placed reverently (a) fragment (of the) plaster ceiling (of the) Báb’s prison cell (in the) Castle (of) Máh-Kú, beneath (the) gilded tiles (of the) crowning unit (of the) majestic edifice. Circumambulated (the) base (of the) dome, paid homage (to) His memory, recalled (His) afflictive imprisonment (and) offered prayers (on) behalf (of the) friends (of) East (and) West (on a) subsequent visit (to the) interior (of) His Shrine.
Preparatory steps are now being taken (for the) pouring (of) concrete (for the) construction (of the) ribs (of the) dome, as well as for (the) placing (of) ornamental stones surrounding its base.
(My) hopes (are) heightened (that the) termination (of the) five-year-long, three-quarter million dollar enterprise, undertaken (in the) heart (of) Carmel, (will) coincide (with the) termination (of the) world-wide celebrations commemorating (the) Centenary (of the) inception (of) Bahá’u’lláh’s Ministry.
(c)
(On the) occasion (of the) conclusion (of the) Holy Year (I am) overjoyed (to share the) following triple announcement (with the) attendants (at the) fourth (and) final Intercontinental Teaching Conference, marking (the) termination (of) festivities associated (with the) Centenary (of the) Birth (of) Bahá’u’lláh’s Prophetic Mission.
(The) five-year-old, three-quarter million dollar enterprise, constituting (the) final
stage (of the) initial epoch (in the) evolution (of the) process initiated over sixty years ago (by the) Founder (of the) Faith, (in the) heart (of the) Mountain (of) God, (is) consummated. (The) finishing touches (of the) installation (of) stained glass windows (in the) Drum (and) Octagon, (the) removal (of) scaffolding (from the) exterior (and) interior (of the) edifice, (the) interior calcimining (of the) Dome, Drum
(and) Octagon, tuckpointing, cleaning (and) floodlighting (the) entire Structure (have been) completed, synchronizing
(with the) closing weeks (of the) glorious twelve—month (in the) annals (of the) Holy Faith.
(A) steadily swelling throng (of) visitors (from) far (and) near, (on) many days exceeding (a) thousand, (is) flocking (the) gates leading (to the) Inner Sanctuary (of this) majestic mausoleum; paying homage (to the) Queen of Carmel enthroned (on) God’s Mountain, crowned (in) glowing gold, robed (in) shimmering white, girdled (in) emerald green, enchanting every eye from air, sea, plain (and) hill.
(I am) moved (to) request (the) attendants (at the) Conference (to) hold (a) befitting memorial gathering (to) pay tribute (to the) Hand (of the) Cause, Sutherland Maxwell, immortal architect (of the) Arcade (and) Superstructure (of the) Shrine. (I) feel, moreover, acknowledgement (should) be made (at the) same gathering (of the) unflagging labors (and) vigilance (of the) Hand (of the) Cause, Ugo Giachery, (in) negotiating contracts, inspecting (and) despatching all materials required (for the) construction (of the) Edifice, as well as (of the) assiduous, constant care (of the) Hand (of the) Cause, Leroy Ioas, (in) supervising (the) construction (of) both Drum (and) Dome. To two doors (of the) Shrine recently named after (the) first two aforementioned Hands, (the) Octagon Door, now added, (will) henceforth (be) associated (with the) third Hand who contributed (to the) raising (of this) stately, sacred Structure. . . .
3. AN ACCOUNT OF THE PREPARATORY WORK IN ITALY
By DR. UGO R. GIACHERY
ON April 29, 1948, at four o’clock in the afternoon, in a room of the Hotel Savoia in Rome, William Sutherland Maxwell, acting for Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, signed the first contract for the marble necessary to complete the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel. As the signatures were being affixed to the document, the fine drizzle which had been falling for many hours ceased as by magic, and a ray of the warm spring sun lit up the room.
All those present looked at the skies through the open balcony and smiled cheerfully, while this correspondent reviewed rapidly in his mind the contrasting conditions prevailing on this joyous occasion and those during the tremendous hours which followed the noon of July 9, ninety-eight years before, when an obscuring gale swept the city of Tabríz at the time of the Báb’s martyrdom.
On May 5 a second contract was signed in the same room, and a complex and ponderous machinery was set in motion. Architects, draftsmen, quarriers, stonecutters, sculptors, and artists began a momentous activity. Many are familiar with the beautiful color plate giving the architect’s design of the Shrine as it appears in Volume IX of The Bahá’í World as the frontispiece. But only a few have seen the countless accurate and detailed drawings of this unique building, a mighty work done by one man.
The Italian architects who have had the opportunity to examine these plans have expressed their admiration, with the highest words of praise, for the conception, the style, the elegance, and the exquisite intricacy of the decoration which characterizes the entire project.
So begins the befitting completion of the work envisioned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which He so dramatically described, “Every stone of that building, every stone of the road leading to it, I have with infinite tears and at tremendous cost, raised and placed in position.
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1Dr. Giachery-was appointed by Shoghi Effendi as his personal representative for the work in Italy for the Shrine of the Báb. (Editors.)
2For around and above the original Edifice erected by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá this beautiful new exterior is being placed, as by enchantment, within the matchless setting of magnificent gardens. The Persian gardens of Haifa are the finest in the East, and the constant loving supervision of the Guardian has embellished them to a degree almost impossible to visualize.
At ground level the design of the Shrine calls for a quadrate colonnade, with twenty-four columns and eight pilasters of Rose Granite of Baveno, each fifteen feet high and resting on bases of the same granite.
All tourists who have visited Italy know Lake Maggiore. Between Stresa and Verbania on the shores of this romantic lake, stands Mt. Mottarone, famous for the unique view of Lombardy’s plains. On the north side of this mountain, lies the Cava del Camoscio, or Quarry of the Chamois, from which the rose granite for the columns, pilasters and bases has been quarried. Huge blocks have been hewn from the side of the mountain, thence lowered by cograil to the plains and transported by sturdy horse-drawn carts to the marble works in Gravellona. Scores of men have been at work on these blocks, week after week, producing by their accurate, painstaking labor the most perfect columns that glisten like mirrors in the sun. Every column has been packed as if it were precious glassware, in mammoth wooden boxes, for shipment to Haifa.
The columns and pilasters support beautifully carved capitals of rare design, embodying classic elements of ancient Greco-Roman architecture and the delicate filigree-like motifs of Persia. Twenty-eight carved arches sustain the fagade with sculptured panels and join the four monumental corners into a harmonious ensemble. The arches, panels, corners, and fagades have
been made, piece by piece, of a marble-like
2Cited in God Passes By, by Shoghi Effendi, page 275. The original Edifice was completed in 1908 and the Báb’s remains were laid to rest therein on March 21, 1909. (See “Entombment of the Báb’s Remains on Mt. Carmel,” page 235 this Section.)
stone called Chiampo. This stone, which is quarried near Vicenza, fifty miles northwest of Venice, is hard, compact, of uniform texture, and the delicate tint of wheat straw at harvest time.
Car loads of large blocks of Chiampo have been carried from the quarry t0 Pietrasanta, on the Tyrrhenian sea. Pietrasanta, just north of Pisa, is one of the foremost marble working centers of Italy, not far from Carrara. Here a large group of skilled artists, carvers, stonecutters, carpenters, and sculptors have been mobilized under the guidance of two able architects (one, a college professor) to transfer into stone the dream-like conception of Mr. Maxwell.
This correspondent has had the special privilege of visiting the laboratory of Pietrasanta ——————where over sixty men work daily with incredible facility to make the various pieces of the building which dovetail to perfection. It is a sight never to be forgotten: dozens of men at work in clouds of dust raised by their drills and Chisels, deft fingers moving with care and skill, shaping the stone they have learned to love, humble artists contributing to the engraving of pages of splendor in the history of the Bahá’í Faith, unknown actors in the unfolding of the most glorious of all Plans as envisaged by Bahá’u’lláh.
In Pietrasanta, also, a large portion of the outdoor yard is ever covered with immense packing cases containing the completed pieces ready for shipment to Haifa.
It was on November 16, 1948, that the following memorable cablegram was sent from Rome to Shoghi Effendi in Haifa, and was despatched with deep emotion by this correspondent:
“First shipment granite, stone holy Bab’s Shrine left Leghorn Sunday November 14th Steamship N orte due Haifa twenty-third entrusting safety beloved Guardian’s prayer assistance Blessed Perfection ever-present Master’s guiding hand. Loving devotion. Ugo Giachery.”
This message, the delivery of which was not guaranteed in war-torn Israel? was to bring to the Guardian the much awaited news that the fruits of the first six months of intense activity and toil in four different parts of Italy were ripe and ready to be delivered. Since that day in April, when William
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3Israel was declared an independent Republic in May, 1948.
Sutherland Maxwell, the architect for the Shrine, had signed, on behalf of the Guardian, the first contract much had already been accomplished.
Seventy-two wooden cases, occupying 67 cubic meters and weighing 90 metric tons, were stowed safely in the holds of the SS. Norte, to be carried through a blockade of hostile naval vessels to its final destination in Haifa. Those early months will remain in our memory as the most difficult of the entire period necessary to the procurement of material for the Shrine.
There was no mail service at this time between Italy and the nascent State of Israel; a few letters which had been posted had been returned to the sender. Shipping was erratic, and only a very few steamers dared to approach the shores of Israel as there was constant danger of confiscation of the cargo by hostile warships. To maintain correspondence with the International Bahá’í Center in Haifa was the most complex and difficult problem. Plans and architectural drawings had to be sent back and forth. Photographs of the work accomplished had to be submitted to Mr. Maxwell for his approval. Cablegrams sent only at the sender’s risk and without promise of delivery, if transmitted, were delayed by the censor for weeks at a time. After much searching, a method was found by which the necessary and vital correspondence could be carried on: Once a week there passed through Rome a lone plane going from Prague to Haifa. By complying with a tedious and endless procedure of filling out forms, Waiting in long queues and obtaining government permits, it became possible to entrust to the crew of the plane the packages of mail. These were delivered with regularity but with much delay on account of the censorship. In looking back, it all seems a continuous chain of miracles!
The activity which originated in Rome with the signing of three contracts in less than three months included, in the beginning, the choice of the stone or marble to be used in the construction. Mr. Maxwell wanted very much to match a Palestinian stone with a similar Italian marble. To simplify the search Mr. Maxwell was taken to the Geological Office of Rome, a government institution where samples of stones of every geological era and description are available. With the assistance of the director of the Office a stone was found which
matched the Palestinian stone in color, structure and geological formation. It was a typical Italian marble used chiefly in the civil building trade. When the contractor for the work on the Shrine, Messrs. Guido M. Fabbricotti, Successors, of Carrara, was charged with locating the quarry and making a substantial purchase of this stone, it was found that all the approaches to the quarry had been blown up during the war and that to put the quarry back into operation would require many months of work and a considerable sum of money.
Taken aback but undaunted, we directed the search in other directions and after a second visit to the Geological Office another quarry was located, in Northern Italy at the little town of Chiampo, not far from Venice.
Signor Andrea Rocca,4 the energetic Italian architect who has been carrying out all the technical details of the work in Italy as envisaged by Mr. Maxwell, was dispatched immediately to this quarry to make a thorough survey of the material. The reports were good and heartening, and arrangements were made to quarry the needed quantity of large blocks of “Chiampo,” to be sent by lorries, or trucks, to the Tyrrhenian side of the Italian peninsula where the stone would be cut and carved.
The reader should consider for a moment the arduous and intricate process of stone quarrying as applied to the requirements for the Shrine. A perfect stone was needed, without blemishes or even the most minute imperfection. Tons upon tons of rock had to be removed first in order to reach the vein or stratum of the marble to be quarried. After that, a quantity about three times larger than needed was to be removed and shipped to the laboratory. To illustrate this point, for example, in order to carve to perfection an ornate capital, weighing when finished about one ton, a block three times that weight was initially required—and there were thirty-two capitals to be carved!
After the signing of the third and fourth contracts, when much more “Chiampo” was needed, considerable difficulties were met with. First, the quarry had to be closed on account of the frigid weather and much snow which made any work impossible.
4The Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara bestowed upon Signor Rocca the honorary Professorship in Architecture of that Academy, in recognition of his meritorious skill as an artist and an architect.
Then, when operation was resumed at the first signs of spring, the stratum uncovered was imperfect and criss-crossed by flaws. Weeks of anxiety followed until another perfect stratum was struck and the much needed material started to flow again from Chiampo to Pietrasanta.
For the columns, the pilasters and their bases, which were made of Rose Baveno granite, the matter was not so complicated as the quarry yielded perfect blocks for all our needs. This part of the work was carried out in the little town of Gravellona near Lake Maggiore.
From the same district came also the green marble used in the panels of the balustrade and as background for the central panel of the Greatest Name.5 “Verde Ugo” is the name of this beautiful green marble chosen by Mr. Maxwell; it is named after the owner of the quarry, Count Ugo d‘Ivrea of Gressoney, Piedmont.
After the first shipment had arrived safely in Haifa, we initiated a continuous flow of material from the Italian ports of Genoa, Leghorn and Venice to Haifa. Obstacles of every nature arose from time to time, from the most unexpected sources. The most serious was created by the drought which prevailed in Italy during the winter and spring of 1949. A11 industrial electric power was curtailed to three working days per week. The workmen could not operate the pneumatic drills and Chisels; the great cutting saws were idle, and the production of cut stone lagged behind the schedule which had been set. After this correspondent had prevailed on the contractors to purchase a diesel electric generator, the rain started again and things went back to normal.
During these crises one of the partners of the contracting firm became very ill and suddenly died. He was Colonel Alberto Bufalini of Carrara, a fine and competent gentleman in whom Mr. Maxwell and this correspondent had placed a great deal of trust and responsibility. His death was a real loss, an irreparable loss to the firm and his family. His last words addressed to his wife were an exhortation to complete the work of the Shrine in the best possible manner, as this was the greatest thing he had done in his life time. Fortunately, his two young sons are carrying on, with competence and
5Yá-Bahá’u’l-Abhá, or Alláh-u-Abhá, meaning “God the All Glorious!”
interest, the work so well initiated by their father.
Great anxiety was also caused by the shipping situation. We would engage a steamer to take a cargo on a certain date from a certain port. The precious cargo of material for the Shrine would be brought to the wharf and there it would have to wait for days and days until the ship arrived. One time the steamer arrived on schedule but an earthquake sent the population of Leghorn fleeing to the countryside, and there was no one to load the ship! In another instance, when the steamer was unloading our cargo of stone in the port of Haifa, the captain became alarmed at a plane flying overhead and hastily took the ship out of the port, returning half of the cargo back to Italy. Another time a fire broke out on board the steamer Sacro Cuore, endangering all our shipment, but it remained miraculously undamaged. Still another time a full load of stone which had been transferred from the ship to a lighter in the port of Haifa went to the bottom of the sea, when a stiff wind arose and capsized the lighter. Again good fortune was on our side and a salvage company with the aid of a diver brought every case to the surface undamaged.
The testing of all the cut stone has been one of the most meticulous tasks and has been carried out with unfailing precision and accuracy. The reader should realize that the stone shipped was not merely cut; it was cut to a size prescribed by plans made by the architect, then carved, finished to a smooth surface, and placed with its neighboring stones in the actual part of the building erected in the marble works, in sections held together by plaster of Paris. Specialized workers then went over every single stone to eliminate any imperfection to the fraction of a line. The stones were then numbered, the temporary part of the building dismantled, and every piece placed in a strong wooden box made especially for it, to be shipped to Haifa.
A detailed list would give the number of the case and the number of each stone contained in it, while a master key—plan indicated the location of each stone in the building. A fascinating gigantic puzzle. An Italian journalist has stated that this appears to be the largest prefabricated building to move from the European continent to any point in the world, even larger than the
Rockefeller “Cloister” which was moved from France to New York City.
The Guardian’s desire was to have the complete colonnade surrounding the original Shrine, built by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, erected and finished for the one hundredth anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Báb—July 9, 1950.
Time was racing by fast. New contracts were concluded for the parapet which crowns the colonnade. Samples of gold and green mosaics were submitted for approval. Their acceptance started a new activity, the completion of twenty-eight large panels carved and embellished with “blue-green” mosaic and “scarlet-red” blossoms. The great central panel, the one which was to bear the Greatest Name, was completed with its huge star of green marble in one piece and with background rays filled in with gold mosaic.
The shipment of these panels presented a great problem. They were heavy, large in size and delicate to handle on account of the mosaic. After thorough consultation with the Contractors and Signor Rocca it was decided to ship the panels in double cases to be sure they would arrive in Haifa in excellent condition. The Guardian approved this plan, and every panel reached its destination in the utmost state of perfection. But the problem of moving such large cases was not a small one; again another link was added to the chain of miracles.
To ship all the columns, pilasters, capitals, star panels, arches of the arcade, walls of the arcade, monumental corners, cornices, small pilasters and panels of the parapet, we used seventeen different steamers over a period of nineteen months. Nearly eight hundred tons of finished material were shipped and safely delivered in Haifa, in 1,800 wooden cases. The largest piece shipped weighed over three tons, and the largest carved piece of “Chiampo” weighed over one ton. Altogether 4,587 finished pieces were transported from Italy to Mt. Carmel during this period.
Over 100 trucks were required, to carry the material from the laboratory to the Wharves to be shipped, and more than 100 railroad cars and lorries were used to bring the stone blocks from the quarry to the laboratory.
On May 8, 1950, the last shipment left Leghorn on the S.S. Maria—the last 44 cases containing the precious cargo for the
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Báb’s Shrine. This steamer entered the harbor of Haifa on May 20, thus bringing to a close the nineteen months of intense labor on the Italian side of the Mediterranean Sea. On June 29, 1950, the last small stone was put in position at 3 :30 PM. in the Arcade of the Shrine on Mt. Carmel, in ample time for the commemoration of the Centenary of the Martyrdom of the Báb. The Guardian’s foresight had won; the colonnade was completed and all the Bahá’í world rejoiced at the announcement.
The morning of the first of September, 1950, a cable from Shoghi Effendi was received, announcing the shipment by plane of the architectural drawings for the octagon section of the Shrine superstructure, to obtain an estimate of the cost and of the time required to complete this part of the construction. On September 8 the drawings finally arrived. After a series of conferences and consultations with Architect Rocca and representatives of the firm of Messrs. Guido M. Fabbricotti, Successori. of Carrara, a new contract for the carved Chiampo necessary to erect the octagon was stipulated. The contract was signed in Rome, at Via Liguria 38, on Saturday, October 21. Again a complex machinery was set in motion with a speed that, at the time, left both this correspondent and the contractors spellbound and breathless; immediately a representative of the contractor was dispatched to Chiampo to purchase all the blocks of marble required, before the closing of the quarry which, on account of the inclement weather, was scheduled the first week of November.
As soon as the work of cutting and carving the stone started, new technical problems of vital importance arose in Haifa which demanded skillful, rapid and accurate solution. The reader should consider that the ensemble of the octagon, the drum and the dome—a mighty construction weighing over 1,000 tons—could not be laid on the roof of the original Shrine, this venerable Edifice erected by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá being unable to hold such tremendous weight.
Prof. H. Neuman of Haifa Institute of Technology, the engineer for the project, devised a very ingenious system to support the entire superstructure by planning to sink eight mighty piers, of unusual dimensions, all the way through the original Shrine to reach the bedrock lying under its foundation. It was a truly gigantic and delicate task to break through the masonry of the Shrine
without damaging its structure or impairing in any manner the sacred entirety of the Holy Tombs. To carry out this bold plan, this correspondent was called upon to provide and ship at the earliest possible moment a large amount of structural steel, eight huge Manesmann pipes6 and 100,000 pounds of cement—all material it was impossible to secure in Israel. On the other hand, Italy’s reconstruction program made these materials extremely scarce in Italy and they were exportable only under special Government licenses. Twice the cement was obtained and twice, with great swiftness, its shipment was prevented by ever-changing and unheralded Government regulations. After weeks of stubborn perseverance, and soliciting and pleading with Government agencies, the licenses were obtained and the material left the port of Leghorn on two ships, the S.S. Komemiut and the S.S. Frankis, on April 5 and 13, 1951, respectively.
Professor Neuman has personally described to this correspondent the fascinating and highly skilled work of casting the eight huge piers and the eight-pointed star on which the entire new structure—the octagon, the drum and the dome—will rest. The star consists of eight interlocked beams of reinforced concrete, each measuring one foot wide, six feet deep and forty-three feet long, each point of the star resting on one of the eight vertical piers. The lower edge of the beams is a distance of about one foot from the roof of the original Shrine. On the upper part of the beams is laid a mighty concrete platform which constitutes the floor of the octagon and the foundation for the eight steel columns. As all the beams are interlocked (like two superimposed quadrangles), it was necessary to cast this enormous foundation in one day—something of a miracle, “epoch-making, unique in the history of engineering in the entire Middle East,” said Professor Neuman, “as we had to cast 135 cubic meters of concrete in one single day.”
During this search for the materials mentioned, another cablegram from Shoghi Effendi requested an estimate of the cost of the cylinder (or drum) and of the dome. Again new conferences and consultations took place, to agree on many important technical details and to discuss costs and labor.
GHollow steel columns 15 feet high and one foot
wide, to support the drum and the dome.
After several quotations were submitted to the Guardian, authority was received to stipulate a new contract at a favorable cost, and on Friday, March 24, the contract was signed at Via Liguria, in Rome. During negotiations for this contract, additional requests were received from time to time from Shoghi Effendi which resulted in new con 245
The task of cutting and carving the Chiampo stone for the octagon was proceeding with great alacrity. It was a meticulous and vast undertaking to carve out of the stone eight façades each measuring twenty-four by twenty-six feet, with intricate ornamental carvings and eight huge pinnacles to be placed at the summit of every corner.
I EDIFICE BUILT
4. LINE OF EXTERIOR /-'_—,
or OCTAGON _/_’-/"
L BY 'AaDu-L-BAHA’
. REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAM
2. CONCRETE PIERS
1—__-'_—T\
.5- 1:3
TO BED-ROCK
Construction of Shrine of the Báb, Mt. Carmel, Haifa, Israel.
Sketch of the eight-pointed star foundation for the Octagon:
1. Outline of original Edifice, built by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, roughly square
in shape.
2. Eight reinforced concrete piers rising from bedrock to one foot
above roof level of original Edifice.
3. Reinforced concrete eight—pointed star foundation, consisting of eight interlocked concrete beams one foot wide, six feet deep and forty—three feet long. The eight points of this star rest on the
eight concrete piers; the entire star is raised one foot above the roof
of the original Edifice.
4. Dotted line connecting points of the star foundation represents the fagade of the Octagon. Small circles at intersections of beams
indicate position of the eight hollow steel columns (Manesmann pipes).
tracts for the beautiful hand-wrought iron railing for the octagon, iron Window frames for the same structure and for the cylinder —a total of eighteen large windows, eight of medium size, sixteen small ones—and an oak door with wrought-iron grill. In addition to these items other contracts were drawn up for lamp posts to embellish the terraces outside the Shrine and for artistic wrought-iron gates for the completion of the terraces.
Over fifty highly skilled stone cutters and artist carvers accomplished this work, sometimes laboring until late at night in order to deliver the material in less than a year. Shipments were made from time to time. The first lot of Chiampo, 18 tons carefully packed in sealed wooden boxes, left the port of Leghorn on May 4, on the S.S. De Vilhena. Another important shipment of 105 tons was made on August 2 on the S.S. Resi,
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246
and was followed by other shipments of 54 tons on the same steamer on September 26, of 30 tons on the SS. Rapido on November 12, and the balance on the S.S. De Vilhena on December 3.
About the middle of September an additional request was received, for structural steel, another 100,000 pounds of cement, a huge quantity of construction lumber, all to permit the erection of the cylinder and the dome. By this time the Italian Government had made it almost impossible to purchase or to ship abroad any quantity of steel, even the smallest. Petitions to the proper authority, and verbal pleading seconded by written statements stressing the importance of completing the cylinder and the dome of the Shrine, which would extoll the skill of Italian artistry, brought the capitulation of the adamant Committee on Exports, and with the great rejoicing of this correspondent the export license for the steel, cement and lumber was granted. “This is an exceptional measure,” stated the government official who signed the license, “as no such permit has been granted for months, even to larger corporations with world-wide trade.”
By the middle of October storms of unprecedented violence were lashing the north and the south of the Italian peninsula, bringing about the disastrous floods which devastated all the Polesine region in the north and a good part of Calabria in the south. The Tyrrhenian and the Adriatic seas were stormy as they had never been in the memory of any living man. Right at that moment a large cargo of Chiampo stone, of steel and a good part of the lumber had been sent to the port of Leghorn for shipment. No steamer was then able to enter or leave any port. All shipping was paralyzed for a few weeks and our precious and most needed cargo lay idle at the wharf. It was only on November 12 (Bahá’u’lláh’s birthday) that the S.S. Rapido, after completing hasty loading operations, sailed from Leghorn with the weather still unsettled.
At the present date, January, 1952, the work is proceeding with great speed to complete the cylinder with its eighteen intricately carved windows, the eighteen great ribs of the dome, and the stone lantern which crown this superstructure of the Shrine, like outstretched arms and uplifted hands joined in a prayer to the Almighty.
4. REPORTS ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ARCADE
By BEN D. WEEDEN
SHOGHI EFFENDI has asked me to write you about the progress of the building of the arcade about the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel from time to time, with the suggestion that it be printed in Bahá’í News for the information of the friends. This is a rather large task for so poor a servant to undertake, for truly the erection of this arcade will be an epic milestone in the annals of the Bahá’í Faith, and will foreshadow the erection of the golden dome, some one hundred and twenty feet in height, and the completion of the enterprise conceived by Bahá’u’lláh sixty years ago.
Many of the friends will recall the circular group of cypress trees near the Shrine, under which Bahá’u’lláh sat when He indicated to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the spot upon which the Shrine of the Báb was to be erected, and
where the Báb’s earthly remains should be placed at rest. That was a memorable day and it is fitting that one of the Bahá’ís present at the time should now be residing at the Bahá’í Pilgrim House near the Shrine and acting as host to all visitors—Hussein Ekbal. He is a fine and kindly, elderly gentleman, and it is a privilege to meet and know him.
All Bahá’ís know that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was able to bring the precious remains of the Bab to Mt. Carmel and to erect six of the nine rooms of the present Shrine building. Perhaps, something not so well known, is that one day in 1915, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was sitting on the terrace at the top of the steps of His home looking up to the building then on Mt. Carmel and remarked that as yet the Shrine of the Báb was “unbuilt” and that
considerable sums of money would be needed, but God willing, they would be forthcoming. How significant that word “unbuilt,” and yet, how precious are the rooms built at His direction! How indicative it was that He envisaged the beautiful structure which is to be raised about the precious kernel He had placed on Mt. Carmel. You may be sure no stone which was laid at His desire will ever be disturbed. This same Will hold true of the three rooms added by Shoghi Effendi after the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and in accordance with His desire. The present nine-roorn structure will always remain the kernel of the Shrine and the present project will only be a beautiful and glorious shell to protect and preserve it.
Even with this bit of background in mind, few will ever know the intense longing which has been in the heart of Shoghi Effendi, over a long period of years, to start the construction of the edifice he knew was so dear to the heart of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Then, suddenly, in the spring of this year, 1948, he felt that the end of his patient waiting had come, even though conditions in the world, and especially in Palestine, were far from propitious. However, he well knew that every great step forward in our Bahá’í Faith has been taken under severe difficulties, therefore, he did not hesitate to send Mr. William S. Maxwell to Italy with his exquisitely designed plans, to contract for the cutting and carving of the stone necessary to bring out the full richness and delicacy of the arcade he, Mr. Maxwell, has conceived. It might be mentioned that his designs and drawings have excited the admiration of many of the finest stonecutters in Italy. This is justified and it is to be regretted that space does not allow the telling of the labor and devotion Mr. Maxwell has put into this work. It is great, very great.
The trip to Italy was most successful; with the very able assistance of Dr. Ugo R. Giachery, contracts were entered into with Guido M. Fabbn'cotti, Successors, of Carrara, Italy, for twenty-four columns and eight pilasters, with their bases, to be cut and polished from Rose Baveno granite, the capitals for these, together With the twenty-eight graceful arches, star panels and delicate, curved corner panels to be cut and carved of cream, Chiampo granite. The search for a proper stone and the selection of Chiampo granite for this fine carved work is a tale in itself and could better be
told by Ugo Giachery who rendered so great a service in all this work, and continues to act as Shoghi Effendi’s appointed representative in Italy in the matter of stone for the Shrine of the Báb.
Very quickly after the return from Italy, on May 15, affairs in Palestine took on a swifter tempo. The British Mandate had come to an end and the State of Israel came to birth. This latter event forced a change in the construction plans for the Shrine. The first intent was to use Palestinian stone for the thresholds, the corners, walls, and the cornices, but circumstances left the quarries of the needed stone in the hands of the Arabs. This looked like a serious obstacle and might cause a serious delay, but Shoghi Effendi immediately communicated with Ugo Giachery and within a surprisingly short time Ugo was able to place a further contract with Guido M. Fabbricotti, Successors, for the cutting, in Chiampo granite, of all the stone needed to construct the arcade. Everyone feels this has been a happy turn of events as this Chiampo granite is a very fine and beautiful stone. The placing of this latest contract means that all the stone of the arcade will be Italian and it is possible that when the time comes to add the balustrade and the tall dome the master stonecutters of Italy will have more work to do.
With the matter of the stonework decided, Shoghi Effendi took swift action toward preparing the site about the Shrine for the work to come. This is a huge task in itself and is not without a little heartbreak for it means disturbing the beauty Shoghi Effendi has devoted so many years to create about the Shrine, to gladden the hearts of the pilgrims and visitors. There were hundreds upon hundreds of finely laid tiles to be carefully removed and properly stored, many yards of well-cared-for hedging and trees to take up and replant, four huge, lead vases and their pedestals dismounted, the laying of the foundation and the taking of many, many cubic yards of stone from the high wall on the mountain side of the Shrine. The laying of the foundation has been completed and the cutting of the rock wall progressing swiftly under Shoghi Effendi’s direction.
While work was progressing in Haifa much of the work in Italy was being finished and packed for shipment. The excitement of the day Shoghi Effendi asked Ugo Giachery
to arrange for the first shipment of stone was only equaled by the day we learned that the S. S. Norte had left Italy with some one hundred and twelve tons of columns, pilasters, bases, socles, and threshold stones, and would arrive in Haifa on November 28. Activities increased greatly here as there was much to be done to clear the shipment through customs, arrange transportation from the port and prepare a space near the Gardens where this precious cargo could be stored. And then came word from Ugo that an additional forty tons was being loaded on the S. S. Campidoglio and would arrive in Haifa on December 3. One hundred and fifty-two tons of cut, carved and polished stone on the high seas! Only a small part of the six hundred and fifty odd tons to come from Italy, but the flow of stone had started!
At last the 28th came and the slow and careful unloading got underway. A good measure of the pieces were unloaded into lighters but the great columns and pilasters, weighing about three tons each, had to be taken from the S.S. Norte by one of the big shore cranes. It was a grand sight to see those huge crates rise slowly out of the hold of the ship and be gently lowered onto the quay. With the unloading completed, the work of clearing the shipment was quickly finished and the transportation to the storage space near the Gardens started. Before this task was completed the S.S. Campidoglio arrived with forty additional tons, was cleared and in due time all stone transported to the storage space to await the day it can be placed in its position to form the arcade about the Shrine of the Báb.
How everyone is looking forward to the day when the first stone will be laid on the foundation! Then day by day this great and beautiful structure will take form. The polished rose granite bases will be put into position, the twenty-four polished, rose granite columns and eight pilasters will he stood proudly erect ready to receive their intricately carved Chiampo stone capitals, the beautifully designed curved corners will rise stone upon stone, the twenty-eight graceful arches will rest secure on the capitals, the delicately carved star panels inset and at last the cornices put into place. Thus will be completed the first step in the construction of the glorious rose and gold edifice which will forever guard and protect the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel.
While this letter is mostly a recital of labors both great and small, it is to be hoped that the friends who read it will not forget the importance and great purpose behind these strivings. The structure ‘Abdu’l-Bahá hoped one day, God willing, would be raised upon the side of Mt. Carmel is taking tangible form under the hands of our beloved Guardian.
Haifa, Dec. 28, 1948
With completion of the foundation toward the end of 1948, the enlarging of the site of the Shrine began. This meant cutting into the side of the mountain and the removal of many hundreds of yards of earth and rock. It was a difficult work and was not made easier by the very cold and rainy winter such as has not been experienced in Israel for many years. Yet, despite the adverse circumstances, under the direction of Shoghi Effendi, this work, including the necessary retaining wall, was completed within a period of time that amazed the engineers. It was truly a herculean task in itself and is the more remarkable if consideration is given to the fact that Shoghi Effendi also extended the terrace of the Garden upon which the Shrine is located, by a matter of some two hundred feet. A truly large undertaking in itself due to the steepness of the mountain.
As this work neared completion a new drainage system for the Shrine was put in and the day the first of stones so carefully cut in Italy, was to be laid, drew close. On March 14, 1949, one week before the fortieth anniversary of the placing by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá of the Báb’s blessed remains in the sarcophagus presented by the Burmese Bahá’ís for this purpose—the first threshold stone weighing half a ton, was set in its exact place upon the foundation. The beautiful arcade for the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel, conceived by Mr. William S. Maxwell, was really taking form. Dreams were taking on reality.
The setting of the one hundred and forty
threshold stones proceeded swiftly and the
base stones for three of the corners were put
in position. At this point there was an
interruption due to the long drought in Italy
which cut the use of electric power to three
days a week. This delayed the arrival of
stone we needed to continue. How we would
have liked to have sent some of our excess
rain to Italy! Still, this interruption was not
without its benefit, for it did give time to de
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vise a special gantry to be used to lift the huge Rose Baveno pilasters and columns into place, and other pieces of stone work ranging up to a ton or more.
With the arrival of the needed pieces of stone the work was resumed with renewed vigor and with lightened hearts. It is progressing swiftly and in a most encouraging manner. The three corners upon which work is being done have taken on a strength and promise of beauty difficult to picture, with the erection of the two great, square Rose Baveno pilasters with which each finely proportioned corner is bound. To see one of these solid pieces of granite some fifteen feet long rise into position is a sight never to be forgotten. It is raised slowly and with infinite care until it is above its base and then, with much measuring, lowered into the position it will hold for ages. Six of these fine monoliths have been put into position and the stone work of Chiampo granite forming these corners is over half way to the top of the pilasters. This includes some of the very fine carved work of the curved section of the corners. Even in the present construction stage of these comers, they bring exclamations of delight from those who view them. Who can say how the first sight of the completed arcade will ravish the hearts of all who behold it?
Sitting within sight of the Shrine of the Bab, as this report is being written, makes it difficult to keep thoughts within due bounds of a true report. Knowing that on the morrow a start is to be made in preparation for raising twelve of the graceful Rose Baveno columns tends to distracting thoughts of the future; Aye, that future! Those twelve great columns, and the twelve to follow, each with its carved capital, the graceful arches, the walls with the inset star panels, then the balustrade and over all the great dome! That is What a Bahá’í would envisage if sitting here. That is what a Bahá’í would envisage upon seeing just one stone set in place and to be able to touch it. Further, a Bahá’í would sense something of the great import of what our beloved Guardian is creating on the side of Mt. Carmel for the future of the world. How the Bahá’ís would strive and pray for the completion of the glorious covering for the Shrine of the Báb if they but knew something of this!
Our beloved Guardian has asked that a third report be made to the friends on the
progress of the work at the Shrine of the
Báb on Mt. Carmel. A goodly amount of
progress has taken place since the last
report, in fact, the arcade has been over half
completed, but not without difl‘iculties.
The continued drought in Italy still delayed stone shipments, as mentioned in the last report. This made the planning of construction progress difficult. Plans would be made for the arrival of a shipment and then it would be delayed. This was annoying but when a lighter load of sixty-one cases of stone sank in the harbor one stormy night we felt we had a real burden on our shoulders. However, like all burdens and tests we found it not as severe as we thought and that it did add to our experience. It was not long before a diver had salvaged the cases from the bottom of the harbor and not a stone had been damaged. We had a further experience of a like nature when a case was dropped into the water when it slipped from the sling while unloading. We also had the experience of a ship catching afire while she was unloading, and it was necessary to flood her to put out the fire. We were very worried about this as can be imagined, but we found that not a single one of our precious cases had been harmed in the slightest. With the vicissitudes many of our shipments have passed through it is miraculous that no damage was done to a single stone which would have called for a long delay in the work while it was being recut.
While these difficulties were heartrending, still the work on the arcade went steadily on. The three magnificent curved corners took on more height and grandeur. Twelve of the huge Rose Baveno granite columns were set upon their bases, each with its beautifully carved Chiampo granite capital. A momentous occasion truly! Then followed the placing of the finely cut graceful arches, seven on the east side and seven on the north. This led to the building up of the walls to the height of the architrave, including the star panels and half star panels, those gems which relieve the austerity of the walls and balance the fine, ornate, curved corners. With the completion to the architrave of the beautiful corners at the southeast, northeast and notthwest and the walls to the east and north, the summer came to a close and plans for the winter work were made.
One of the first steps in this work is already nearing completion, the excavation of the mountain on the west and south sides
of the Shrine. This has meant the removal of many, many hundreds of cubic yards of rock and earth and the building of a retaining wall which on the south side will reach a height of nearly ten meters. The earth and rock excavated will be used to extend the terrace upon which the Shrine stands, to the east or the right as you stand facing the sea and the city of ‘Akká.
As soon as the wall is completed, work will start on the southwest curved corner, the setting of its two great pilasters and the placing of the twelve remaining columns with their capitals. Then the arches and the wall stones of the west and south sides. As this work progresses the concrete ceilings will be poured, and the stones of the architrave and cornices set in place. Then will come the momentous setting up of the parapet, which is to be such a fitting crown for this splendid and glorious arcade the labors of our beloved Guardian are bringing into being about our holy Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel.
In mid-summer, in anticipation of this last momentous part of the work, our Guardian instructed Dr. Ugo R. Giachery, as his representative in Italy, to negotiate a fourth contract With Guido M. Fabbricotti, Successors, of Carrara, Italy, for the fabrication of this intricate stone work. On September 7, 1949, the contract was signed and calls for close to two hundred tons of fine carving and delicate mosaic work. Mr. W. S. Maxwell has created a masterpiece of beauty and design. There will be thirty-two Chiampo stone posts with carved caps. There will be twenty-seven large panels carved in low relief with a background of variegated - opaque glass mosaic. These panels will be in single slabs and weigh nearly a ton each. There will be a special central panel for the front fagade of the arcade, with a large star with radiating gold rays, and there will be the Greatest Name done in metal and gilded superimposed upon the green marble star. This panel will be complete with the intricately designed ‘B’s’ to the right and the left of the circle of green marble enclosing the star and the golden rays. The ‘B’s’ will be in low relief and the background mosaic. The four curved corners will have beautifully designed ornamentation in which there will be a large oval of green marble and again the Greatest Name will be superimposed upon each oval. This is a very inadequate description, and while the lack
of space might be pled, the real need is the abilities of a poet or a great artist to picture what is now being created in Italy.
The expressions of admiration made by the many many visitors to our beautiful Bahá’í Gardens on the work already done on the arcade, when they get a partial view of it from the unrestricted part of the Gardens, are heartwarming, and one wonders to what length they will go when the arcade is finished and open to the public. What will they feel and think when they see the delicate rose of the tall columns, the light cream of the impressive and strong corners and walls and last, but not least, the crown of glory, the parapet, with its green panels (the green emblematic of the Báb’s lineage) and the gold of the Greatest Names and the rays to add the final touch of color and balance to it all? To this beautiful harmony of color will be added the superb carving, so exquisite in design, and the proportions which convey such a feeling of strength and ageless endurance. Do you doubt but what it will leave a vision in their hearts that will last throughout a lifetime?
Please do not ask what it will mean to a Bahá’í making a pilgrimage to this holy spot. My prayer is that you all may have this privilege and bounty, God willing.
With the passing of an unusually severe winter (1949-1950), and one of many and diverse labors, despite the adverse weather, the construction plans for the winter were more than fulfilled and the completion of this glorious and sacred arcade enveloping the Shrine of the Báb is rapidly approachmg.
At the beginning of the winter, construction on the west and south sides of the arcade began in earnest. The southwest curved corner with its huge rose granite pilasters rapidly took shape. Twelve great rose columns and their capitals were put in place. While this work was going on, the wall of the mountain on the south side of the Shrine was strengthened and the terrace upon which the Shrine of the Báb stands was extended to the east. This extension required the building of a high retaining wall and was a major engineering undertaking in itself, but under the guidance of our Guardian it
‘ went forward at amazing speed and is now
a flourishing garden. With these activities at their height the first shipment of the parapet stones arrived.
Included in this shipment were the first of the twenty-seven mosaic panels which with their artistry and beauty of design conceived by Mr. Maxwell will so enhance the majesty of the glorious crown now being placed upon the towering walls of the arcade which is to protect the holy Shrine of the Báb for all posterity. Our impatience to open one of these cases of panels knew no bounds. When, at last, one of the panels had been carefully exposed it is needless to say our admiration also knew no bounds. The bowl of our expectations overflowed. The craftsmanship of the Italian artisans in stone and mosaic work was beyond compare and Mr. Maxwell’s design and plan had become a noble fruit. As Mr. Maxwell is extremely reticent in speaking of his work and is not given to a display of his emotions one will never know the extreme pleasure it must have been for him to stand before this beautiful creation and know that he had inspired it.
With these wonderful panels on hand the workmen went forward with added zest to prepare for the setting of them. Soon the day came when the first panel on the east side of the arcade was brought carefully into place and raised into position. At the end of the second day the other six panels were placed with the small pillars standing between. Not long after, the cover stones and the finials of the pillars were added thus completing the east side of the arcade.
Now the staging needed for all this construction could be removed and the full beauty of these labors stood revealed: The delicate rose of the huge columns and the pilasters, the graceful arches, the light cream of the wall stones and then the wondrous and glorious crown of glory, the balustrade with its panels of carved Chiampo granite with a background of light green, glass mosaic with a few flecks of red and a narrow green border of Ugo Vert granite, with subdued touch of color so masterfully added to bring out the full beauty, dignity and glory of this magnificent edifice. And how symbolic of the Báb’s martyrdom are those panels—those gems set in the crown of gloriousness, the balustrade! The white Chiampo stone denoting the pure light of His Message, the green symbolical of His lineage and the red flecks the drops of blood of His Martyrdom. As one stands before this beauty one’s heart is near to bursting.
There is little more to be added to this
report but you may all be assured that construction of the arcade about the Shrine of the Báb is nearing its conclusion. A great step forward will have been taken when the last stone has been laid. A breath-taking edifice of beauty will stand in a garden of great splendor, which our beloved Guardian has already created, for all the world to be drawn to in admiration, and all Bahá’ís in reverence and devotion.
Haifa, Israel
May 30, 1950
At three-thirty o’clock in the afternoon on May 29, 1950, the last stone was placed in position in the huge corner panel at the southeast corner of the arcade about the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel. It was only a small stone, being about a foot long and ten inches in width, triangular in shape, but how filled with import the setting of it was! The placing of this small stone brought to a close the first stage in the construction of one of the most magnificent and important edifices in the world of today and the long long tomorrow of the future.
You know something of the extraordinary conditions existing at the World Center when our beloved Guardian sent Mr. Maxwell to Italy to arrange for the nearly eight hundred tons of stone to be used in completing the arcade. You know something of the many difficulties that have been encountered and overcome, that are so reminiscent of every great forward step taken in the advancement of our beloved Faith. An attempt has been made in reports to picture something of the splendor and beauty of the edifice conceived by Mr. Maxwell and brought into reality through storm and stress under the sure guidance of the Guardian, up to and including the large mosaic panels of the balustrade. You must be anxious to know something of the great and tall corner panels and the jewel of splendor the magnificent central panel, a gem of great price set in the diadem of our arcade.
Those towers of massive strength, the
concave curved corners are most fittingly
crowned by curved panels rising nearly nine
feet in height, and tapering to a point. The
central stone, weighing over a ton and a
half, has a large oval of Ugo Vert marble
set into it upon which is mounted the
Greatest Name in the calligraphy used on Bahá’í
ring stones, done with a special gold-fired
bronze. This green oval is wreathed in a simple
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floral design. The upper portion of the panel tapers to a point with finely carved wings diminishing in size to make a fitting frame for the carving over the oval that adds so much to the strength, dignity and harmony of these four immense corner panels. The dignity and majesty of these curved corner panels are enhanced by the simplicity of the square panels with their cover stones of quiet leaf-fluting which flank the curved sections. These square panels have their centers cut back in two steps taking away any feeling of weight, and this inset carving is so finely proportioned in size and depth that these panels become the perfect union between the beautiful mosaic panels of the sides and the imposing curved panels at each corner.
The central panel, set in the balustrade of the north fagade which faces ‘Akká and overlooks Mt. Carmel Avenue, is a true crown jewel. Its center is a great five-foot circle resting between two quarter panels each having carved upon them an exquisitely designed floral “B” with backgrounds of light green mosaic. The great circle has a huge nine pointed star of dark green marble set in it upon which is mounted the Greatest Name done in gold-fired bronze and in the Persian calligraphy so familiar to all Bahá’ís. From the nine-pointed star radiate carved rays of Chiampo stone having a
background of bright gold mosaic; all being enclosed in a narrow band of dark green Ugo Vert marble. The cover stones for this glorious panel are harmoniously carved to make a perfect setting for this truly inspiring masterpiece. This central panel is truly a masterpiece, and perhaps something more, for as one Views it there is a glow and radiance about the nine-pointed star that does not come from just the white stone and gold mosaic. There is a golden aura that is a sign and a promise of the Golden Age our beloved Faith is to bring to the world.
The real evidence of the greatness of this step initiated by, inspired by and which has been completed under the guidance of our beloved Guardian, now stands in all its majesty and glory in the Bahá’í Gardens, also created by our Guardian, on the side of Mt. Carmel, the most holy mountain—the arcade about the Shrine of the Báb. It is the initial stage in the erection of the glorious edifice which is always to guard and protect the sacred building ‘Abdu’l-Bahá caused to be reared under terrible adversity, on the spot designated by Bahá’u’lláh as the final resting place for the Sacred Remains of the Bab and within which He, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, placed those Sacred Remains with His own loving hands. It is to be remembered that this inspiring edifice will ever stand as a shining light for all the world to glory in.