Bahá’í World/Volume 28/Mount Carmel Projects, Progress 1999-2000
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MOUNT
CARMEL PROJECTS
Progress 1999—2000
en Baha’u’llah Visited Mount Carmel as a prisoner of the Ottoman empire in the late nineteenth century, He indicated the place on the then barren mountain that would someday become the spiritual and administrative center for Bahá’ís around the world. On that spot now stands the Shrine of the Bab, the centerpiece for the Bahá’í projects on the mountain. Now, a little more than a hundred years after Bahá’u’lláh’s visit, the terraced gardens that complement the Shrine and the buildings that house the administrative center of the Bahá’í world will be completed within the next year.
The Riḍván 1999 message of the Universal House of Justice set the pace of work for the remaining months of the twentieth century, listing “a chronology of expectations” for the period ahead, and making two significant announcements: first, the holding of a Counsellors’ Conference in the Holy Land in J anuary 2001 to “mark the occupation by the International Teaching Centre of its permanent seat”; and second, following the completion of the Mount Carmel Projects, the holding of dedicatory events between
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21 and 25 May 2001. The goals thus set, the Mount Carmel Projects team continued its labors.
Terraces Of the Shrine of the Báb
A major challenge has been to maintain the gardens on the Terraces of the Shrine of the Bab in harmony with the mountain environment. By the summer of 1999, the pattern for a new phase of the landscaping program was established. This program entailed the creation of wildlife corridors to provide a sustainable environment for beneficial birds, insects, and other wildlife that act as natural pest deterrents. The gardens maintenance program will rely on practices such as cultivation, mulching, and plant competition, rather than the extensive use of chemicals. Implementation of this program, however, required the completion of the formal axis of the Terraces, centered around the long stairway that stretches their length, and the gradual extension from this axis into slopes designed as an open garden park bordered on both sides with large strips of natural forest.
The Terrace gardens are designed in three zones. The central axis is formal in layout, with lawns, annual flower beds, santolina hedges, geometrically pruned bushes and trees, and other ornamental details. Bordering this axis are transition-garden slopes planted mainly with flowering trees, olive and oak trees, and perennial bushes characteristic of the Middle East. With the completion of the first two zones, the areas beyond were left free to develop into natural forest to serve as wildlife corridors. It was
The double-storied " vlructureofrhe nineteenth terrace 0n Panorama Street.
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Stone ornaments, paving, andfountains 0n the nineteenth terrace, which looks out over Haifa.
not long before several small birds indigenous to the mountain returned to nest—blue kingfishers, sunbirds, finches, and quail. Returning, too, were a host of beneficial insects like the ladybird and preying mantis, and animals such as the mongoose, the hedgehog, and the land tortoise. These natural forest areas not only began to provide a protected environment for such creatures, but also served as a buffer zone between the gardens and surrounding residential areas, providing natural barriers to the sights and sounds of the city.
In 1994, the Universal House of Justice wrote: “the beauty and magnificence of the Gardens and Terraces now under development are symbolic of the nature of the transformation which is destined to occur both within the hearts of the world’s peoples and in the physical environment of the planet.”‘ These words continue to provide inspiration for the planning and care of the gardens.
On 17 August 1999, a significant milestone in the Mount Carmel Projects was reached when the bridge over Hatzionut Avenue was used for the first time. The bridge connects the terrace of the Shrine of the Bab with the eleventh terrace.
1 The Universal House of Justice, letter to all National Spiritual Assemblies, 4 January 1994.
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During this period, work gained momentum at the site of the entrance plaza Of the Terraces at the junction of Hagefen Street and Ben Gurion Avenue. Excavations of more than one thousand cubic meters of earth were completed, and a large underground mechanical room was constructed to support the elaborate water features designed for the plaza. A tubewell was drilled nearby to supplement water resources for the gardens, extensive plumbing work and installation of pipes was undertaken, and geometric curves and aqua drains were constructed. The concrete structure of the star—shaped central fountain was erected, forming the centerpiece Of the plaza.
W
The Cemre/bl' the
Study offhe Texts,
the International
. __ Archives Building, ' and [he Shrine of
the Bail).
The Centre for the Study of the Texts and the Archives Extension
Another landmark in the projects, the completion of the Centre for the Study of the Texts and the Archives Extension, was reached in April 1999. The offices of the building manager, the building facilities manager, and security were soon set up, and other offices gradually moved into the premises.
On 4 July 1999, more than 150 key participants from the main contractor’s site team, the Mount Carmel Projects team, and the subcontractors of all trades came together with Mr. Giora Perez, the managing director of Perez G.G. Engineers, and Mr. Fariborz Sahba, project manager, to celebrate this achievement. Mr. Sahba, while conveying the appreciation of the Universal House of Justice, expressed his gratitude to all concerned for collaborating to complete the buildings on time and for being conscious of
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quality in all the work accomplished. The spirit of cooperation evident on the site, he said, resulted in the construction of one of the finest quality structures in Israel. Mr. Perez reiterated his deep appreciation for the teamwork and said how his workers would treasure the privilege of participating in these projects throughout their lives.
The entrance lounge Of
the C entre/br the Study
of the Texts.
The International Teaching Centre
As the Centre for the Study of the Texts and the Archives Extension were completed and occupied, the building of the International Teaching Centre also rapidly approached completion. Production of millwork, such as partitions for the dining rooms, shelves and tables for the mail room, display cabinets for the book center, and panelling for the auditorium, proceeded. The first four levels of the common area will accommodate various departments, and other staff facilities are also located there. By November 1999, millwork had been installed on all these levels, and marble paving in the foyer of the auditorium and the staff dining room at levels four and five had been completed. All levels of the building received their final coat of paint and carpet tiles were laid in the office spaces. By March 2000, the council chamber for the International Counsellors was also completed.
Concomitant with the internal finishing work, extensive stone cladding on the external walls was completed, and preparations were made for landscaping around the Teaching Centre complex. Thousands of cubic meters of earth were moved to allow the grading of the slopes, with much of the backfill material coming from the excavations on the Terraces. Green tiles were installed on the
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Exterior Of the new International Teaching Centre building.
roof of the Teaching Centre building, harmonizing its appearance with the other buildings on the Arc.
New Pilgrim Facilities in Haifa and Bahjí
In its Riḍván 1999 message, the Universal House of Justice conveyed its decision to implement an expanded pilgrimage program, raising the number of pilgrims from groups of 100 to 150, upon completion of a new pilgrim reception centre in Haifa, located on Hatzionut Street across from the Monument Gardens. The new property comprises two structures which formerly served as medical laboratories. While the original fagades of the two buildings on the property were restored, their interiors were fully remodelled to create large formal spaces. Restoration work commenced in July 1998 and was completed by March 2000. A hall, with a seating capacity of 350, was created in the main level of one building, which also contains a lounge, kitchen, and dining facilities. Reception areas and offices were created in the other building, and a pedestrian bridge now connects the two.
The Universal House of Justice also approved architectural plans “for a much needed facility to be built at Bahjí to accommodate pilgrims and other Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í Visitors.”2 Excavations began on 9 April 2000 and a week later an official
3 The Universal House of Justice, message to the Bahá’ís of the world, 21 April 2000.
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ceremony was organized by the Bahá’í World Centre to mark the commencement of work. Prominent among the 160 invitees were the mayor ofAcre and others from the municipality. Representatives from the Greek Orthodox Church and the Islamic Waqf also attended, as did Professor Moshe Sharon, incumbent of the Chair for Bahá’í Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The Bahá’í World Centre was represented by Albert Lincoln, secretary general of the Bahá’í International Community, and Fariborz Sahba, architect and proj ect manager.
a w
A bird iv eye view of the progress on the Terraces and the Arc.
Recognition of the Projects
Since excavations for the construction of the Terraces commenced
in May 1990, the face of Mount Carmel has been transformed.
And although they are not yet fully complete, the Terrace gardens
are now attracting world attention.
On 25 May 1999, at a ceremony held at the residence of the president of Israel in J erusalem, the Bahá’í World Centre received the Magshim ’99 Award for the Terraces Of the Shrine of the Báb. The Terraces project was one of five selected for the award, given by the Council for a Beautiful Israel, a non-governmental organization. Mrs. Aura Herzog, widow of the late president of Israel Chaim Herzog and international president of the Council for a Beautiful Israel, presented the award to Fariborz Sahba, who
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received it on behalf of the Bahá’í World Centre. In her introductory remarks, Mrs. Herzog said, “This is the second time that the renowned Bahá’í gardens have won the Magshim Award. . .this time for the extraordinary final stage of the terraces development that has taken place over the last decade. Today, the gardens are of unmatched beauty, and they were judged without rival. . . We have even heard them categorized as. . .one of the wonders of the world.”
The F ourteenth International Agricultural Exhibition (Agritech ’99), organized by the Israel Export Institute, was held in Haifa from 5 to 9 September 1999. Some nine thousand participants from around the world converged on Haifa for this event. More than two hundred ministers and high ranking officials from many nations were escorted to the Shrine of the Bab and the Terraces on an official visit. Bahá’í ushers, many of whom were attired in their national costumes, represented a wide spectrum of nationalities and presented a Visible testimony to the worldwide scope of the Bahá’í community. Throughout the tour, Agriteeh participants remarked on the beauty of the gardens. One of the ministers commented, “In a beautiful environment people tend to become beautiful. I feel in this beautiful and special atmosphere I can recognize beauty in others.”
The booklet T he Bahd ’l' Shrine and Gardens on Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel, first published by the municipality of Haifa early in 1999, is now available in Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, and Portuguese, as well as French, German, Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, Italian, and English. The booklet contains photographs of the Shrine of the Bab, the surrounding terraces, and the buildings on the Arc. It also describes the historical roots of the Bahá’í Faith in the Holy Land.
Several Israeli publications carried articles highlighting the beauty of the gardens and focusing on the historical connection between the Bahá’í Faith and the Holy Land. The Shrine of the Bab and the Terraces were also filmed as one segment in the world—wide coverage of millennium celebrations, broadcast on 1 January 2000 on BBC and ABC. It is estimated that the program was seen by Close to a billion Viewers.
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