Web site offers information for visiting Baha'i gardens, shrines

19 March 2009 HAIFA, Israel — A new Web site with information for visiting the Baha'i shrines and gardens in Haifa and Acre was introduced today by the Baha'i International Community. The Web site gives details about tours, hours, and the gardens themselves, as well as information about visiting the Shrine of Baha'u'llah in Acre and the Shrine of the Bab in Haifa. The shrines are the resting places of the founders of the Baha'i Faith. Letting people know what to expect when they visit the properties is a major aim of the Web site, said Albert Lincoln, secretary general of the Baha'i International Community. The site gives maps and suggestions for visitors, answers frequently asked questions, and also notes when people might find the gardens closed, such as on Baha'i holy days. The launch of the Web site - called "The Baha'i Gardens" - coincides with an expanded array of public tours. Half a million people come to the properties each year, making them among the most visited sites in the eastern Mediterranean region. Last year the shrines and gardens were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list as having "outstanding universal value" for humanity. Details of tours, hours of opening, and information about visiting the Baha'i shrines in Haifa and Acre is available on the Web site. A major impetus for creating the Web site was to make visitor information available in the local languages, Mr. Lincoln said. In addition to English, the site already offers Hebrew, and Arabic will be added as soon as possible. Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of Israel. Public tours have changed in that people may check the Web site for the hours of the main "Panorama Tour" and the languages in which it is offered. Reservations are no longer required. More specialized tours are available for groups, depending on their interests. Such tours must be arranged ahead of time. "Organized groups often want a more in-depth experience," Mr. Lincoln said. "They want to learn more, in addition to visiting the gardens." Besides providing practical details for visitors, the new Web site includes information about the Baha'i Faith and also such resource material as extracts from an architectural study of the Baha'i properties in Acre and Haifa. The address of the new Web site is www.ganbahai.org.il.

Encyclopedia project launches new website

The Bahá’í Encyclopedia Project achieves a major milestone today, April 9, 2009, with the launching of a website featuring a gradually expanding selection of articles for the study of the Bahá’í Faith: http://www.bahai-encyclopedia-project.org/. The articles cover a range of topics in the categories of history, biography, teachings and laws, administration and institutions. All the articles bring together information from a variety of sources, many of which can be found only in research libraries and archives. The historical and biographical entries, in particular, include much material that has never been published or has not been available until now in English. Every attempt has been made, within the limits of available resources, to present the articles in an attractive and user-friendly format and to make it possible to update and improve them over time. Excitement over this achievement is tempered, however, by the circumstances in which it takes place. Since the inception of the Encyclopedia Project in 1984, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States has provided unfailing encouragement and financial support. In late 2008, however, cost considerations resulting from the world economic crisis led the National Assembly to seek ways to reorganize the project in order to maintain momentum in its online publishing while reducing expenditures. The Encyclopedia Editorial Board was released from service, and the Encyclopedia Project's two-person staff was immediately halved. After a period of several months spent on preparations for launching the website, the coordinating editor's tenure as a full-time staff member also ended. The project is currently being restructured on the basis of volunteer service and earmarked contributions to support part-time editorial work and website maintenance and development, as resources permit. The members of the Encyclopedia Editorial Board, many of whom have served for all or much of the life of the Project, deserve special thanks. They are: Larry Bucknell, Betty J. Fisher, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Todd Lawson, Heshmat Moayyad, Gayle Morrison, Sholeh Quinn, Martha L. Schweitz, Robert H. Stockman, and Will C. van den Hoonaard. The Project's administrative assistant for over ten years, Sharon Bakula, also merits gratitude for her hard work and steadfastness. The Encyclopedia Project owes a great debt of gratitude to former general editors John Walbridge and Moojan Momen and sociology editor Will C. van den Hoonaard and their assistants; to former staff members in Evanston; to all contributors; and to the well-wishers who have lent (and continue to lend) material and moral support to this endeavor. For those residing under the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ísof the United States, updated information on the Encyclopedia Project will be posted today under its departmental section on the administrative website: www.usbnc.org. The Encyclopedia Project welcomes inquiries, comments, and suggestions, which may be sent to: encyclopedia@usbnc.org. Please bear in mind that the office is in transition and has no full-time staff. Messages will be answered as soon as possible. Gayle Morrison Coordinating Editor Bahá’í Encyclopedia Project