Israel In Focus
on location
Baha’i Shrine and Haifa
HOME OF THE BÁB:
Throngs of tourists visit the shrine each year to walk along the gardens of
flowers, trees and intricately manicured lawns of the 1 9 garden terraces that
form more than a half-mile path stretching up Mount Carmel. Built at the
beginning of the 20th century to house the remains of the Baha’i faith’s founder,
this once modest six-room mausoleum was transformed in the 1950s into the
magnificent shrine visitors to Israel see today.
SPLENDOR
OF HAIFA:
The shrine is located
in the northern resort
town of Haifa, a
frequent port of call
for cruises coming to
Israel and a coastal
paradise for tourists
who flock to luxuriate
in the cerulean
Mediterranean
waters and white
sand beaches.
WHERE TO STAY
Haifa is known for its luxury
accommodations. Among the most
picturesque is the Leonardo Haifa, the
only hotel in the city that fronts the
Mediterranean Sea. Carmel Forest Spa
and Resort is favored for its hiking
trails and indulgent spa treatments.
The Colony Hotel, a boutique hotel
constructed on the site of an historic
building in the trendy German Colony,
is also popular. As is the Dan Carmel,
which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
GETTING THERE
Haifa is about an hour’s drive from Tel
Aviv, and about a two-hour drive from
Jerusalem. A domestic airport services
flights from Eilat and Tel Aviv.
AN ARCHITECTURAL WONDER:
The focal point of the shrine is a stunning golden dome
that adorns the main building. Composed of more than
12,000 gold leaf glazed fish-scale tiles, it also features
intricate emerald and ruby colored mosaics among other
decorative motifs.
