Baháʼí House of Worship

The Bahá'í House of Worship was first mentioned in Baháʼu'lláh's book of laws, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, as the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár ("Dawning-place of the remembrance of God"), and the details of the institution were then elaborated by both Baháʼu'lláh and his successors, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá[3] and Shoghi Effendi.[1]

Bahá'í literature directs that a House of Worship should be built in each city and town, and emphasizes that its doors must be open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction. The Bahá'í laws emphasize that the spirit of the House of Worship must be a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions.[3] According to Shoghi Effendi, a Bahá'í temple is a "silent teacher" of the Bahá'í Faith.[7]

Bahá'í literature also stipulates that the Houses of Worship be surrounded by a complex of humanitarian, educational, and charitable institutions such as schools, hospitals, homes for the elderly, universities, hostels, and other social and humanitarian institutions to serve the areas in which they stand.[3][8] Shoghi Effendi described the future interaction between the House of Worship and its dependencies as capable of providing "the essentials of Bahá'í worship and service, both so vital to the regeneration of the world."[8] Shoghi Effendi also stated that the functions of the House of Worship would be complementary to those of the Haziratu'l-Quds (commonly known as Bahá'í centres), and that it would be desirable if both these buildings would be on the same site.[8]

All Bahá'í temples share certain architectural elements, some of which are specified by Bahá'í scripture. All Bahá'í Houses of Worship are required to have a nine-sided shape (nonagon) and to have nine pathways lead outward and nine gardens surrounding them.[8] While as of 2010 all standing Bahá'í Houses of Worship have a dome, the Bahá'í teachings do not require that Houses of Worship have domes.[9] Bahá'í scripture also states that no pictures, statues or images may be displayed within the House of Worship and no pulpits or altars incorporated as an architectural feature (readers may stand behind simple portable lectern).[3] To date all the Houses of Worship built or planned have a single, undivided room under their dome. Furthermore, in each of them the seats in the auditorium face the Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh in 'Akká, Israel. Each of the Houses of Worship is unique, and the designs, through the selection of materials, landscaping and architecture, reflect the indigenous cultural, social and environmental elements of their location, to a greater or lesser degree.[3]

The Bahá'í laws require that only the holy scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside in any language; while readings and prayers may be set to music by choirs, no musical instruments may be played inside.[3] Furthermore, no sermons may be delivered, and no ritualistic ceremonies practiced.[3]

Several Bahá'í Houses of Worship have established choirs that sing music based on the Bahá'í writings (scriptures).[1] In mainly Christian countries, Bahá'í Houses of Worship offer weekly devotional services on Sundays, with the Bahá'í calendar not yet implemented for temple worship.[1] Margit Warburg found in her fieldwork at several Bahá'í temples that almost all attendees of weekly services were Bahá'ís but that many non-Bahá'ís visited at other times during the week.[10]

The twelve existing Houses of Worship were built as the Bahá'í community could support their construction through voluntary contributions. There are no collections during services and only Bahá'ís are permitted to contribute to the Bahá'í funds, including funds for the construction and maintenance of the House of Worship. The Houses of Worship are administered and maintained by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the country in which they are located.[3]

The Wilmette Bahá'í House of Worship stands on the shores of Lake Michigan just north of Chicago.[9] It has received numerous architectural awards.[9] In 1978, it was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places.[9][11] In 2007, the Bahá'í House of Worship was named one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois by the Illinois Bureau of Tourism.[12][13]

A Chicago resident named Nettie Tobin, unable to contribute any money, famously donated a discarded piece of limestone from a construction site.[14] This stone became the symbolic cornerstone of the building when ʻAbdu'l-Bahá arrived in Wilmette in 1912 for the ground-breaking ceremony during his journeys to the West.[15] The principal architect was Louis Bourgeois,[3] though his original design ended up being amended numerous times due to impractical elements.[8] Construction began in 1921 and was completed in 1951, and the temple was dedicated in 1953.[8]

The cladding of the building is composed of a concrete mixture of Portland cement, quartz, and sand, developed for the temple by John Joseph Earley.[8] From ground level, the building stands approximately 58.2 m tall and the diameter of the dome is 27.4 m.[8] The auditorium seats 1,191 visitors.[3] No instrumental music is allowed during services in the auditorium, although all kinds of music may be performed in the meeting room below.[9]

One of nine towers

Various writings of Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, are inscribed above the building entrances and inside the interior alcoves.[16] The exterior is adorned with symbols from various religions, including the Latin Cross, the Greek Cross, the star and crescent, the Star of David, the swastika (which is an ancient symbol used in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism), and the five-pointed star.[1] Inside the center of the dome ceiling, there is a Baháʼí symbol called the "Greatest Name," consisting of Arabic script that translates as "O Thou Glory of Glories."[17]

Calligraphy of the "Greatest Name" in the center of the dome

From 1958–2001, the Bahá'í House of Worship was associated with a "home for the aged", operated by the U.S. Bahá'í community.[4] The Bahá'í Home has since closed, although the building remains in use for a local Bahá'í School and a regional training center.[18] A new welcome centre for the House of Worship was completed in 2015, described as connecting the temple with the community, including Bahá'ís and non-Bahá'ís.[19]

Kampala, Uganda
Mother Temple of Africa
Designer	Charles Mason Remey
Dedication	13 January 1961
Capacity	600 seats
Height	38 m ground level to the tip of the spire
Ground breaking	The foundation stone was laid by Rúhíyyih Khánum on 26 January 1957.

The Kampala Baháʼí House of Worship, sometimes called the Mother Temple of Africa, is situated on Kikaaya Hill, in Kawempe Division, in northern Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.[20] It was designed by architect Charles Mason Remey.[1] The foundation stone was laid on 26 January 1957 by Rúhíyyih Khánum, representing Shoghi Effendi, the head of the religion at that time.[8] Musa Banani, the first Hand of the Cause in Africa, was also present for the groundbreaking and placed in the foundation a gift of soil from the Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh, sent by Shoghi Effendi.[20] The dedication ceremony was held in January 1961 and was also attended by Rúhíyyih Khánum.[8]

The building is more than 130 feet (39 m) high, and over 100 meters in diameter at the base.[21] The dome is over 124 feet (37 m) high and 44 feet (13 m) in diameter.[21] As a protection against earthquakes that can occur in the region, the temple has a foundation that goes 10 feet (3 m) beneath the ground.[21] The temple has seating for 800 people.[3][8] At the time it was built, the Kampala Baháʼí temple was the tallest building in East Africa.[9]

The temple's dome is built out of fixed mosaic tiles from Italy, whereas the tiles of the lower roof are from Belgium.[1] The wall panels contain windows of green, pale blue, and amber colored glass of German origin.[1] Both the timber used for making the doors and benches and the stone used for the walls of the temple are from within Uganda itself.[1] The 50-acre (200,000 m²) property includes the House of Worship, extensive gardens, a guest house, and an administrative center.[21]

Sydney, Australia
Mother Temple of the Antipodes
Designer	Charles Mason Remey
Dedication	15 September 1961
Capacity	500 seats
Height	40 m
Ground breaking	The foundation ceremony was led by Charles Mason Remey and Clara Dunn on 22 March 1958.

The fourth Baháʼí temple to be completed (and third still standing) is in Ingleside in the northern suburbs of Sydney, Australia.[3] This Temple serves as the "Mother Temple of the Antipodes".[22] According to Jennifer Taylor, a historian at Sydney University, it is among Sydney's four most significant religious buildings constructed in the twentieth century.[23] The initial design by Charles Mason Remey was given to Sydney architect John Brogan to develop and complete.[23] It was dedicated in September 1961 and opened to the public after four years of construction.[24]

Construction materials include crushed quartz concrete,[9] local hardwoods in the interior,[23] and concrete and marble in the dome.[24] There is seating for six hundred people.[1] The building stands 38 metres in height, has a diameter at its widest point of 20 metres, and is a highly visible landmark from Sydney's northern beaches.[1] The property is set high in a natural bushland setting overlooking the Pacific Ocean.[1] The surrounding gardens contain a variety of native Australian flora including waratahs, three species of eucalypts, caleyi and other grevillea, acacia, and woody pear.[1] Other amenities located on the site include a visitors' centre, a bookshop, a picnic area, and the administrative offices of the Australian Baháʼí community.[22]

Hofheim-Langenhain, Germany
Mother Temple of Europe
Designer	Teuto Rocholl
Dedication	4 July 1964
Capacity	600 seats
Height	28 m
Ground breaking	The foundation stone was laid by Amelia Collins on 20 November 1960.

The Mother Temple of Europe is located at the foot of the Taunus Mountains of Germany, in the village of Langenhain near Frankfurt.[9] It was designed by German architect Teuto Rocholl.[9] The foundation stone for the temple was laid in November 1960 and the temple was dedicated on July 4, 1964,[9] with the dedication featuring a performance by Maria Montana.[25] It is made of steel, aluminum, and glass. 540 diamond-shaped windows give the dome an optical lightness and permit the sunlight to play in it. Diameter of the central hall area is 25 meters, while the diameter of the outside ambulatory area is 48 meters. Height from ground level is 28 meters. The outstanding characteristic acoustics of this setting are created by the reverberation within the dome and the resonance of its myriad window ledges. Choirs here sometimes sing while standing around the circumference of the temple floor, with the audience in the center.

Panama City, Panama
Mother Temple of Latin America
Designer	Peter Tillotson
Dedication	29 April 1972
Capacity	550 seats
Height	28 m
Ground breaking	The foundation stone was laid by Rúhíyyih Khánum on 8 October 1967.

The Bahá'í temple in Panama City, Panama, dedicated April 29, 1972, was designed by English architect Peter Tillotson.[3] It serves as the mother temple of Latin America. It is perched on a high cliff, "Cerro Sonsonate" ("Singing Hill"), overlooking the city, and is constructed of local stone laid in a pattern reminiscent of Native American fabric designs.

The dome is covered with thousands of small oval tiles, and the entrance gates of the temple are constructed in a unique three-dimensional design each consisting of an equilateral triangle of three vertical posts with multiple rows of bars stretching between them at various angles, each row of which gradually changes from vertical to horizontal.

Apia, Western Samoa
Mother Temple of the Pacific Ocean
Designer	Husayn Amanat
Dedication	1 September 1984
Capacity	700 seats
Cost	$6,500,000
Height	19 m
Ground breaking	The foundation stone was laid by Malietoa Tanumafili II on 27 January 1979.

The Bahá'í House of Worship in Tiapapata, in the hills behind Apia, Samoa, was dedicated on September 1, 1984,[3] having been completed at a cost of $6,500,000.[26] The temple was designed by Hossein Amanat, and was dedicated by His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa, the world's first Bahá'í head of state, and Rúhíyyih Khánum.[9] The temple has a 30-meter-tall domed structure[8] and can seat up to 700 people.[3] The structure is open to the island breezes; Graham Hassall writes that this fosters a suitable environment for meditation and prayer.[1]

Bahapur, New Delhi, India
Mother Temple of the Sub-continent of India
Designer	Fariburz Sahba
Dedication	24 December 1986
Capacity	1,300 seats
Cost	$10,000,000
Height	34 m
Ground breaking	The foundation stone was laid by Rúhíyyih Khánum on 17 October 1977.

The Bahá'í House of Worship in Bahapur,[1] New Delhi, India was dedicated in December 1986, having been completed for a total cost $10 million.[26] It was designed by Iranian-American architect Fariborz Sahba and is commonly known as the Lotus Temple.[27] It has won numerous architectural awards[28][29] and has been featured in magazines and newspapers.[30] The temple has become a major attraction for people of various religions; on some Hindu holy days, it receives up to 100,000 visitors, and overall it receives about 2.5 million visitors annually.[29]

Inspired by the Sacred lotus flower, the temple's design is composed of 27 free-standing, marble-clad "petals" grouped into clusters of three and thus forming nine sides.[1] The temple's shape has symbolic and inter-religious significance because the lotus is often associated with the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.[29] Nine doors open on to a central hall, capable of holding up to 2,500 people.[28] The temple is situated on a 26-acre (105,000 m²; 10.5 ha) property featuring nine surrounding ponds.[28]

Santiago, Chile
Mother Temple of South America
Designer	Siamak Hariri
Dedication	13 October 2016
Capacity	600 seats
Cost	$30,000,000
Height	30 m
Ground breaking	Construction began in November, 2010.

The continental Bahá'í House of Worship for South America was the last continental temple to be completed and is located in Santiago, Chile.[31] In late 2002, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of Chile announced a competition for the design of the temple.[32] The chosen design was by Siamak Hariri of Hariri Pontarini Architects in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[33] The construction phase started in November 2010[34] and construction was completed in October 2016,[35] with doors opening on October 19, 2016.[36] The Santiago temple has won a range of Canadian and international architectural awards.[37][38][39][40][41][42]

The Santiago Bahá'í House of Worship is ringed by nine entrances, nine pathways, and nine fountains, and the structure is composed of nine arching "sails."[36] These have also been described as nine "petals" and the temple's shape as "floral"; the "petals" are separated by glass which allows light to illuminate the temple's interior.[43] The exterior of the "petals" is made from cast glass while the interior is made from Portuguese marble.[39] The sides of the temple are held up on the inside by a steel and aluminum superstructure.[36] The temple can seat 600 people[42] and it is 30 metres high and 30 metres in diameter.[43]

Local Bahá'í House of Worship in Battambang

The Battambang, Cambodia temple was the world's first local Bahá'í House of Worship to be completed. The temple was designed by Cambodian architect Sochet Vitou Tang, who is a practicing Buddhist, and integrates distinctive Cambodian architectural principles.[45] A dedication ceremony and official opening conference took place on September 1–2, 2017, attended by Cambodian dignitaries, locals, and representatives of Bahá'í communities throughout southeast Asia.[46][47]

Local Bahá'í House of Worship in Agua Azul, Colombia

The temple in Agua Azul in the municipality of Villa Rica in the Cauca Department, Colombia was the second local House of Worship to be completed. The temple design, by architect Julian Gutierrez Chacon, was inspired by the shape of the cocoa pod, a plant integral to Colombian culture.[48] An opening dedication ceremony was conducted on July 22, 2018, followed by devotional services in the House of Worship.[49]

A local Bahá'í House of Worship was opened on Sunday, May 23, 2021 in Matunda Soy, Kenya.[50]

On November 13, 2021, a local Bahá'í House of Worship opened in the town of Lenakel on the island of Tanna, Vanuatu.[51]

Currently, construction of two national Bahá'í Houses of Worship is ongoing in Papua New Guinea[52] and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,[53] while a groundbreaking ceremony has taken place for a local Bahá'í House of Worship in India.[54]

Approved Design for Bahá'í House of Worship, Tehran, Iran

A site was selected and purchased in 1932 for a Bahá'í House of Worship in Hadiqa, northeast of Tehran, Iran.[8] Charles Mason Remey provided a design for this temple which Shoghi Effendi then approved.[8] A drawing of the design was published in an issue of The Bahá'í World.[55] To date, however, the construction of this temple has not been possible.[8]

Model of the Mount Carmel House of Worship

Obelisk marking the position of the future Bahá'í House of Worship, Mount Carmel, Haifa

A design was created for a Bahá'í House of Worship near Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel.[8] It was created by Mason Remey and approved by Shoghi Effendi in 1952.[8] A photo of the model of the Haifa House of Worship can be found in an issue of Bahá'í World.[56] The model now stands in the upper hall of the Mansion of Bahji.[56] An obelisk marks the site where the House of Worship is to be built, but as of 2010, plans for the construction of this House of Worship have not been made.[8]

Upon his visit to Green Acre in Eliot, Maine in 1912, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá stated that the second Bahá'í House of Worship in the United States would be located there.[57]

• Buck, Christopher (2010). "Temples—Baha'i Faith". In Melton, J. Gordon; Baumann, Martin (eds.). Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices. Vol. 6. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 2817–2821. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
• Hassall, Graham (2012). "The Bahá'í House of Worship: Localisation and Universal Form". In Cusack, Carol; Norman, Alex (eds.). Handbook of New Religions and Cultural Production. Brill Handbooks on Contemporary Religion. Vol. 4. Leiden: Brill. pp. 599–632. doi:10.1163/9789004226487_025. ISBN 978-90-04-22187-1. ISSN 1874-6691.
• Momen, Moojan (2010). "Mašreq al-Aḏkār". Encyclopædia Iranica (online ed.).
• Rafati, V.; Sahba, F. (1988). "BAHAISM ix. Bahai temples". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. III. pp. 465–467.

• Armstrong-Ingram, R. Jackson (1987). Music, Devotions, and Mashriqu’l-Adhkár. Studies in Bábí and Bahá'í History. Vol. 4. Los Angeles: Kalimát Press.
• Badiee, Julie (1992). An Earthly Paradise: Baháʼí Houses of Worship Around the World. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-316-X.
• Whitmore, Bruce W. (1984). The Dawning Place: The Building of a Temple, the Forging of the North American Baháʼí Community. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-87743-192-2.