House of Worship avenues, gardens, and pools
Items to be included on outside[edit]
(See references below)
- Pathways/avenues
- Gardens/flowerbeds
- (Blossoming) trees
- Pools/fountains
- Gateways
Must have nine fountains, paths, gardens, gateways[edit]
"The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar must have nine sides, doors, fountains, paths, gateways, columns and gardens, with ground floor, galleries and domes, and in design and construction must be beautiful. The mystery of the edifice is great, and cannot be unveiled yet, but its erection is the most important undertaking of this day. The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar has important accessories, which are accounted of the basic foundations. These are: school for orphan children, hospital and dispensary for the poor, home for the incapable, college for the higher scientific education, and hospice. In every city a great Mashriqu'l-Adhkar must be founded after this order. In the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar services will be held every morning. There will be no organ in the Temple. In buildings near by, festivals, services, conventions, public meetings and spiritual gatherings will be held, but in the Temple the chanting and singing will be unaccompanied. Open ye the gates of the Temple to all mankind."
- (Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1970, p. 192; in Arts and Architecture (compilation), no. 3)
Orderly arrangement of pathways, design of flowerbeds, gushing of fountains, blossoming of trees, freshness of air, and charm and beauty to create a paradise of delight[edit]
"O thou who art firm in the Covenant! The glad-tidings of the impending completion of the Maͯsh̲riqu’l-Aͯdh̲kár, the arrangement of its gardens, and, erelong, the flowing of its fountains, brought infinite joy. The Maͯsh̲riqu’l-Aͯdh̲kár shall truly become a place of great happiness and joy. The strength and elegance of its structure, the orderly arrangement of its pathways, the design of its flowerbeds, the gushing of its fountains, the blossoming of its trees, the freshness of its air, and the charm and beauty of its appearance combine to create a paradise of utmost delight. It shall truly be without peer or likeness."
- ('Abdu'l-Bahá, from a Tablet—translated from the Persian, Institution of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, no. 24)
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in 'Ishqabad (with nine avenues leading through, gardens of variegated flowers, fountains and pools of water) to be emulated in Chicago, with grounds circular, not triangular[edit]
"...The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in 'Ishqabad is almost completed. It is centrally located, nine avenues leading into it, nine gardens, nine fountains; all the arrangement and construction is according to the principle and proportion of the number nine. It is like a beautiful bouquet. Imagine a very lofty, imposing edifice surrounded completely by gardens of variegated flowers, with nine avenues leading through them, nine fountains and pools of water. Such is its matchless, beautiful design. Now they are building a hospital, a school for orphans, a home for cripples, a hospice and a large dispensary. God willing, when it is fully completed, it will be a paradise.
"I hope the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in Chicago will be like this. Endeavor to have the grounds circular in shape. If possible, adjust and exchange the plots in order to make the dimensions and boundaries circular. The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar cannot be triangular in shape. It must be in the form of a circle."
- ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace, Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1982, p. 71)
"Notwithstanding their contributions to that Mashrak-el-Azkar, they have, as you know, contributed to the one here in this city. Now that one is almost complete, that is to say, with all its gardens. That Mashrak-el-Azkar is centrally located. It has nine avenues, nine gardens, nine fountains, so it is nine on nine, all nines. It is like a beautiful bouquet. Just imagine an edifice of that beauty in the center, very lofty, surrounded by gardens, variegated flowers, with nine avenues interlacing nine gardens, nine pools and nine fountains, and think how delightful it must be! That is the way it should be. It is matchless, most beautiful! Such is the design. And now they are at work building a Hospital and a School for Orphans and a Home for Cripples and a large Dispensary and a Hospice. They are now planning, thinking of these things. When that, God willing, shall be complete, it will be a Paradise! There will be no greater geometry than this, and I hope that in Chicago it shall be like this. It will be even so."
- ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Star of the West, vol. 5, issue 16, p. 250; also in vol. 6, issue 17, p. 146)
