BAHA'i NEWS PUBLISHED by the NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY of the BAHA'is of the UNITED STATES
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I I BAHA'I NEWS PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA'is OF THE UNITED STATES NO. 258 BAHA'I YEAR 109 AUGUST, 1952 Progress at the World Center A Letter from the International Baha'i Council National Spiritual Assembly of the Eighteen Letters of the Living. It is vious units already built, it consti Baha'is of the United States, upon this intermediary unit, 11 met tutes a knotty construction problem Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A. ers (33 feet) high, that the dome of because it must be a perfect circle, the Shrine must rest. In spite of the and because it has two walls, an out Dear Baha'i Friends: fact that this drum is much smaller er stone wall and an inner thin re The International Baha'i Council in circumference than the two pre- inforced concrete one, which must wishes to share with the friends news of the progress of the Faith at its World Center, and to inform them of what has been done during the past year, under the guidance of the beloved Guardian . The Shrine of the Bab With the steady progress in the construction of the Shrine of the Bab on Mt. Carmel, the eyes, not only of the Baha'is, are becoming increas ingly fixed upon it, but also of the people of Israel. As the friends ar e already awar e, the octagon of the Shrine is now complete. The eight minaret-like pinnacles, as well as the wrought iron panels of the balus trade are now erected, and constitute, as Shoghi Effendi so beautifully said, the second crown of the building, the first crown being the carved marble parapet of the arcade with its green mosaic panels. This balustrade has now been painted a deep green, and the motif brought out through the application of gold leaf. The effect is truly exquisite, so much so that many local people seem to be under the misapprehension that the build ing is now completed. Evidently what exists is to them sufficiently charming to constitute the end of the enterprise. On April 8th, the preliminary work commenced on the third unit, which consists of the drum section of the Shrine, containing eighteen lancet v:indows, symbolic in number of the Model of the Shrine of the Bab. 2 AUGUST, 1952 be built simultaneously. The fact that spreading, and on e hears more and of Mazra'ih, have been greatly beau we are gaining in height constantly, more comments upon it. The people tified during the past year, in prepa also increases the difficulty of the not only of Haifa, but from many ration for the coming of the pilgrims. operation. parts of Israel, take pride in it, and The Mansion of Baha 'u'llah From the unveiling of the Shrine when they learn something of the model in 1944, on the occasion of the teachings of the Faith, greatly ad For six months, the Cause at its first Centenary of the Declaration of mire what we stand for and what International Center went through a the Bab, the question of what ma we are doing here in their country. most irritating crisis and one which, terial to use for the dome was really The friends are no doubt aware had not the divine protection been so the main problem which faced Mr. that ever since the passing of clearly vouchsafed to the Guardian Sutherland Maxwell, its architect. 'Abdu'l Baba, Shoghi Effendi has and the friends serving him h ere, He had an original and very beauti been extending not only the terraces might have led to serious repercus ful idea: The dome of the Shrine of between the Shrine and the Templar sions. the Bab was to be covered with a Colony at the foot of Mt. Carmel, Ever since the Ascension of fish-scale pattern of tiles, in dimin but has been widening, eastward and Baha'u 'llah, as the friends are aware, ishing sizes. His concept had been of westward, the terrace upon which the party of Mul).ammad-'Ali, his either a green or a gold dome ; but the Shrine itself rests. One section children, his relatives and a few sup the Guardian considered that a gold has remained to be extended for a porters, have clustered around the en dome was much more suitable for number of years, but the engineering Sacred Tomb. Upon the death of this Second Holiest Structure in problem involved was complicated, their Father, the sons of Baha'u'llah the Bah a 'i World; the Qiblih of the and the expense very great. This inherited shares in the Mansion Faith, the Tomb of Baha'u'llah, be year, however, the Guardian has felt where He passed away. In the course ing naturally the Most Sacred. The that the longer the delay in building of many years, this building, so full problem of discovering a means of this extension, the more hopelessly of sacred associations, has witnessed materializing this design faced the expensive such a construction would the evidences of the violent animos builders. Italian gold mosaic was be, and he has consequently com .. considered a possibility, but discard ity of the Covenant-breakers toward menced work which will when com the Center of the Covenant. ed by the Guardian because of the pleted add approximately 350 square uniform effect which the multitude meters to the terrace of the Shrine The friends will remember from of small facets would create at a towards the east. This addition ne their perusal of Baha'i history that distance, the original and highly dec cessitates the construction of a nine already, while Baha'u'llah's body orative concept of tiles being entirely meter high wall of more than 350 was being p repared for the grave, lost by such a treatment. Copper was cubic meter content of stone. It is Mul).ammad-'Ali was concentrating out of the question because of the interesting to note that the stones on his opposition to the Master. After weight and the oxide staining which for the work are being carried up always occurs when this metal is the Ascension, and indeed until 1932, from the ruins of the old city of Mul).a mmad-'Ali and his relatives re u sed. That left only some form of Haifa, which are being removed in sided in the Mansion of Baha'u 'llah, porcelain or clay tile, or possibly a order to make way for a new de plastic material. The investigations velopment. When this portion of the in spite of the fact that the majority of Dr. Ugo Giachery showed that terrace is completed, people visiting of the shares in this building were plastic material was a risk, as no the Shrine will get the most wonder owned by 'Abdu'I-Baha. Badi'u 'Ilah one can predict at present how it ful view from this spot of the entire himself, in order to raise funds for will react to years of exposure in building, with the rays of the rising his seditious activities, sold his share this climate. There remained there sun bringing out the Greatest Name of the house of his Father to thP fore only tile as a feasible solution. in brilliant gold relief, in the north Inspector of Police of 'Akka. While attending the 1951 European eastern corner of the arcade. It is After the death of this man, and Teaching Conference in Holland, Dr. anticipated that in about a month with tremendous inconvenience and Giachery located an enterprising and and a half, this extension will be legal complications, the Guardian long-established firm of tile makers completed. The cost of the work will succeeded in arranging to purchase in Utrecht. After a great deal of in be about $12,600. back Badi'u'llah's original one-third quiry and experimentation on the Bahji, comprising the Shrine of share of the property. At this time, part of this firm, a suitable solution Baha'u'llah and His Mansion, re his son Musa Baha'i was the Regis to the problem of the dome seems to ceives an even greater flow of visi trar of Lands in 'Akka, and catching have been reached, and one which tors than the Gardens here in Haifa ; wind of the transaction, succeeded will realize the architect's design. An owing to the fact that because of at the last moment in bringing pres under-glaze gold tile has now been construction, the immediate sur sure to bear on the Police Inspec developed and an order will shortly roundings of the Shrine on Mt. Car tor's heirs, and instead of the Cause be placed for over 27,000 tiles, rang mel are closed to the public. During coming into possession of the re ing in height from eight centimeters the recent Passover celebrations, maining one-third of the title d eed, to twenty centimeters. The cost of more than 1,500 people visited Bahji, the Guardian succeeded in getting these tiles will be approximately 500 of these in one day. The interiors only one-sixth, and the other one $11,000. of the Shrine of Baha'u'llah and the sixth fell into the hands of the Cove Hand in hand with the work on Mansion, as well as the House of nant-breakers and was r egistered in the Shrine, the fame of the Shrine is Baha'u 'llah in 'Akka and the Mansion their names. BAHA'I NEWS 3 About 1932, the Mansion of aha'u'llah, which had been occupied ,y Mu}fammad-'Ali and his family ever since 1892, had fallen into such a state of disrepair that the roof was caving in.