Hanging Gardens of Haifa

Visited December 2019
Built as a shrine to the Baha’i faith, the Baha’i Gardens comprise a staircase of 19 terraces extending up the northern slope of the city’s Mount Carmel.

At the central terrace stands the golden domed Shrine of the Bab (the “Gate” in Arabic) – the final resting place of the Founder of the Baha’i faith.

Like waves extending out from the shrine, the gardens are designed in nine concentric circles, each filled with flowers, small trees, stone / metal sculptures, gurgling fountains and pools.

The impressively symmetrical gardens also features hedges trimmed into eight-pointed stars and expansive manicured lawns.

There are 19 terraces, one for the Shrine of the Bab and the remainder representing the Bab’s first 18 disciples.

To truly experience the gardens, daily guided tours are available free of charge. The 45-minute Panorama Tour starts from the main gate at the top, goes down about 600 steps and ends just before the Shrine.

The Bahai Gardens stretches almost a kilometre in length from the lowest gate at the German Colony to the main gate way up top.

Inspired by doctrines of the Baha’i faith, the shrine and its elaborate gardens were designed by Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba and is an important place of pilgrimage for Baha’is, who number more than 5 million worldwide.

Stella Maris Monastery

Perched at the western edge of Mount Carmel, the Stella Maris Monastery and church is the world headquarters of a Catholic religious order of friars and nuns, the Carmelites.

Opened in 1836, the current church and monastery was built directly above the grotto where the prophet Elijah is said to have lived, the site of a medieval Greek church dating back to the Byzantine Empire.

The monastery’s main church resembles the shape of a cross. The altar stands on an elevated platform situated above a small cave associated with Elijah.

HAIFA
Beautifully set on the slopes of Mount Carmel facing the Mediterranean Sea, Haifa is Israel’s third largest city with a history spanning more than 3,000 years. 

It is home to the Baha'i Gardens which form part of the Bahaʼi World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage (2008).

Reputed as the biggest 'mixed' city, Haifa is held up as a model of Jewish-Arab coexistence resulting is some amazing fusions of Arabic and Jewish cultures across the city.

Jordan-Holyland-Egypt
Full Itinerary 29 Nov – 10 Dec 2019