Bahá'í Houses of Worship

Bahá'í Houses of Worship are known as the Dawning-place of the Praise of God, or Mashriqu'l-Adhkár. Bahá'í Houses of Worship are located in every continent, except Antartica.

General Design Criteria:
The building style for these temples can differ, but one characteristic of each temple is that the building must be 9-sided having 9 doors or entrances, should have a dome, and be surrounded by gardens and walks. "The essentials of the design, as stipulated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá are that the building should be nine-sided, and circular in shape. Aside from this, the architect is not restricted in any way in choosing his style of design." (Shoghi Effendi: Light of Divine Guidance Vol.1, Page: 216)

Purpose:
The Temples are not just for Bahá'ís, but are open to all. The door of these Temples are open to the people of all races, colours, nationalities and religions. "The Bahá'í House of Worship is dedicated to the praise of God. The House of Worship forms the central edifice of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (the Dawning-place of the Praise of God), a complex which, as it unfolds in the future, will comprise in addition to the House of Worship a number of dependencies dedicated to social, humanitarian, educational, and scientific pursuits. 'Abdu'l-Bahá describes the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár as "one of the most vital institutions in the world", and Shoghi Effendi indicates that it exemplifies in tangible form the integration of "Bahá'í worship and service". Anticipating the future development of this institution, Shoghi Effendi envisages that the House of Worship and its dependencies "shall afford relief to the suffering, sustenance to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to the bereaved, and education to the ignorant". In the future, Bahá'í Houses of Worship will be constructed in every town and village. (Bahá'u'lláh: Kitáb-i-Aqdas: Notes, Pages: 190-191)

	In Russia. The Bahá'í Temple in Ishqabad, Turkmenistan. The First Bahá'í Temple was built in 1902, but in 1928 was expropriated by the authorities as a result of a law expropriating all religious edifices and in 1938 was converted into an art gallery. In 1948 a violent earthquake caused major structural damage which led to its demolition by government order in 1963.
	In Latin America. The Bahá'í Temple is located near the city of Panama.The Mother Temple of Latin America. It is situated at Cerro Sonsonati, near Panama City, Panama. Its foundation stone was laid in October 1967, and it was dedicated on 29 April 1972.
	In Austrialia. The Bahá'í Temple is located at Ingleside, near Sydney, The Mother Temple of the Antipodes. Situated in Mona Vale, just outside Sydney, Australia, its foundation stone was laid in March 1958, and was dedicated on 15 September 1961.
	In the Pacific region. The Bahá'í Temple is located near Apia, Western Samoa.The foundation stone was laid January 1979, and the dedication was on 1 September 1984.
	In Africa. The Bahá'í Temple built upon one of the beautiful hills of Kampala, Uganda Situated on Kikaya Hill on the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda, its foundation stone was laid in January 1958, and was dedicated on 13 January 1961.
	In Frankfurt, Germany. The Bahá'í Temple foundation stone was laid in November 1960, and it was dedicated on 4 July 1964.
	In North America. The Bahá'í Temple is located in Wilmette, near Chicago, U.S.AIts foundation stone was laid by `Abdu'l-Bahá on 1 May 1912, and was dedicated on 1 May 1953.
	In India. The Bahá'í Temple is Located just south of New Delhi, India, the foundation stone was laid in October 1977, and the dedication was on 24 December 1986.
There are plans to construct a House of Worship in Chile in the near future.

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