Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Bahá'í Temple in Wilmette, Illinois

Bahai temple in US The Bahá'í Temple in Wilmette, Illinois, is the oldest surviving Bahá'í House of Worship in the world, and the only one in the United States. In 1903, a small group of Bahá'ís in downtown Chicago first discussed the idea of a Bahá'í House of Worship in the Chicago area. A Bahá'í from Chicago named Corinne Knight True went on pilgrimage to Palestine in 1907 to visit `Abdu'l-Bahá, then leader of the religion, and tell him of the growing interest in a local house of worship. `Abdu'l-Bahá gave his blessing to the project, but recommended that the structure be built away from the Chicago business district, in a more quiet area near Lake Michigan. The temple was eventually built on Wilmette, Illinois. The Bahá'í administrative body began purchasing land for the temple in 1908. The actual construction of the building did not begin until the 1920s. The temple was finally dedicated on May 2, 1953.

The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. The Bahá'í Faith was founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia. Bahá'u'lláh was exiled for his teachings, from Persia to the Ottoman Empire, and died while officially being a prisoner. After Bahá'u'lláh's death, under the leadership of his son, `Abdu'l-Bahá, the religion spread from its Persian and Ottoman roots, and gained a footing in Europe and America, and was consolidated in Iran, where it suffers intense persecution.

There are seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship around the world, with an eighth now under construction near Santiago, Chile. The building has become a popular destination for tourists, and the Illinois Office of Tourism has named it one of the "Seven Wonders of Illinois".

[Linking to ABC Wednesday for letter 'B', Wordless Wednesday, Our World Tuesday.]

17 comments:

  1. Wow - gorgeous building!

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  2. I have visited the Baha'i temple in New Delhi , India.

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    1. That's great! I have heard the Lotus temple is famous for its architecture and is one of the main attraction in Delhi.

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  3. A great photo! I would have never guessed this was taken in the US.

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  4. This is such an excellent capture!

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  5. I know a bit about the Baha'i faith, the progressive revelation stuff from my first wife.
    ROG, ABCW

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  6. I've lived in the Chicago area for 35 years; I know nothing about Baha'i, but this building is a stunner. Lovely, lovely picture.

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  7. Beautiful building!

    leslie
    abcw team

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  8. Lovely building, I like how it combines different styles into a pleasing whole. Nice perspective.
    Joy - ABC Team

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  9. Love that place.. :)

    Happy Wordless Wednesday! My entry is here .

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  10. Beautiful temple and post for B. Carver, ABCW

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  11. Fabulous architectural temple!! I glad found your account..

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  12. That's quite a dome - very detailed! Thanks for stopping by.

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  13. Looks impressive against the blue sky! Well composed and captured

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  14. Wow, this is a wonderful building!

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  15. They seem to build very unique temples. I have been to the one in Delhi http://wp.me/pL5Ms-1gZ
    more interesting architecture. Nice to read the story behind the faith. Thanks
    Jude

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