WHS#53

I visited Haifa on the way to the Galilee in April 2018, and obviously, I had to check out the Bahai Gardens the city is best known for. With a private driver-guide, I was able to see the gardens and the Shrine of Bab both from above and from below. Needless to say, it's a stunning sight to see, and there isn't really any place like this in the world. The gardens show some influence from Persia, where the religion was actually founded, but without the Islamic elements. The Shrine of Bahaullah in Acre seems to also have the same style. Part of the reason it looks so great and shining and pristine, however, is the reason why it might not be a very worthy WHS. The Shrine of Bab was completed in 1953, 55 years before it was inscribed, and the gardens only in 2001, 7 years before inscription. It is clearly a modern site, and although it has huge religious significance, doesn't actually have historic value. Sure, the many serial sites that trace the journey of the Bahai religion's proponents do have a history as an itinerary, but I'd think the sites in Iran and elsewhere should hold the same significance. The sites here in the Galilee are simply pilgrimage sites due to significant figures of the religion being buried here, but they aren't any different from the countless pilgrimage sites in Europe and the Holy Land. The shrine and its gardens make great tourist attractions, and they do have great religious significance and reflect some cultural traditions of its Iranian origin, but overall, it's not really enough to convince me that it's worthy of its WHS title.