Baha’i Gardens in Haifa – Israel

For Marty’s 65th birthday, we traveled to Israel, a journey filled with extraordinary places that I will write about in time. But the place I want to begin with is the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa.

Our group was given special access to this sacred site, allowing us to walk the entire length of the gardens from the top terrace all the way down to the base. Moving slowly downward through the pathways felt ceremonial.

At the heart of the gardens is the Shrine of the Bab, crowned by its golden dome. This shrine is one of the holiest places in the Baha’i Faith, housing the remains of the Bab, a central figure in the religion. The gardens form part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for both their spiritual importance and extraordinary landscape architecture.

The Baha’i Faith is a relatively young religion, founded in the 19th century in Persia. Its teachings emphasize the unity of humanity, the harmony of science and religion, equality between men and women, and the pursuit of peace among all peoples. Walking in this special place embodies these ideals of beauty, symmetry and serenity.

The gardens themselves are breathtaking in their precision with stairways, fountains, manicured hedges and flowering beds. The gardens feel suspended in a busy bustling city, a sanctuary carved into the mountainside.  

Travel means different things to different people. For me, travel is about learning how other people make meaning of the world and their place in it.