The Hanging Gardens of Haifa

The youngest son had spotted a picture of Haifa's Baha'i Gardens in a magazine some time ago and wanted to visit, but I needed to wait till the school holidays to take him there. Even though Israel really is a tiny country, Haifa is quite a long drive from where we live and, whilst I have no problem with motorway driving, I prefer to drive distances with someone with me (aside from the bickering kids in the backseat of course!). My Dad's recent visit meant I had that important someone and so off we went to Haifa for what turned out to be a really lovely day out.

I used to visit Haifa a lot as a child. My adored Great Aunt lived there and we spent many happy holidays with her. I was familiar with the lower Baha'i Gardens, built in the 1960s, from those early years. The construction of the upper gardens was made between 1987 and 2001, at a price tag of US$250 million, and it was that part of the gardens, with its 19 terraces, that we wished to see.

The gardens are one of the two great holy places for members of the Baha'i faith, an independent movement that originated in Persia in the middle of the 19th century. The Baha'i are based in the area because the faith's founder, Baha'u'llah spent 25 years imprisoned in nearby Acre.
The faith can be traced back to Ali-Muhammad (1819-50), a native of Iran. In 1844 Ali declared that he was the 'Promised One' and gathered up followers, called Babis, but was later arrested and executed by firing squad. In 1866, a Babi named Mizra Hussein Ali assumed the title of Baha'u'llah but, like the Bab, his declarations were unwelcome in Persia and he was expelled, first to Baghdad, and finally Acre. Sitting in his cell in Acre he lay down the principles of a new faith, the Baha'i, which comes from the Arabic word baha (glory).

Baha'i now have an estimated six million followers in more than 75 countries. Few Baha'i live in Israel, but 700 volunteers from abroad serve in the Baha'i World Centre, the Baha'i governing seat. Tradition dictates that once in their life a Baha'i must make a pilgrimage to Haifa to walk up the 1400 steps of the Baha'i Gardens.

The remains of Ali-Muhammad, the Bab, were brought to Haifa in 1909 and interred into the golden-domed Shrine of the Bab. The tomb is considered one of the two most sacred sites for the world's six million Baha'i. Higher up the hill, behind the shrine, stands the Universal House of Justice (above, bottom right), a classically styled pseudo-temple that also belongs to the Baha'i but is closed to the public. All the Bahá'í buildings face toward Acre, the burial place of Baha'u'llah.

It was the gardens we had come to see, however, and, with every tree trimmed to perfection and every blade of grass seemingly cut to the exact same height, the 19 terraces are truly a sight to see. Built through voluntary contributions from members of the faith, they are quite simply breathtaking. Also known as 'The Hanging Gardens of Haifa' and declared by Haifa's Mayor as "the eighth wonder of the world", they extend almost a kilometre up the side of Mount Carmel, covering some 200,000 square metres of land. Each terrace is linked by a set of stairs, with streams of running water cascading down the mountainside through the steps and terrace bridges.
Putting aside the heat for a moment - and, gosh was it HOT - the hillside gardens feel almost European. The terraces are lined with stone balustrades, fountains and eagles. Carved urns overflowing with red geraniums set off the emerald-green grass and dark-green trees. Black iron gates give the 100 gardener's access to the trees, bushes, flowerbeds and manicured lawns, and there was not a leaf out of place!
The garden’s crowning glory is most definitely its breathtaking panoramic view of Haifa Bay and the Mediterranean Sea. I am confident that there is no place on Earth with a more beautiful view!
Afterwards we visited the downtown German Colony, originally founded by the German Templer Society and now a lovely area with nice bars and outdoor seating, but frankly nothing could compare to those incredible hanging gardens and the view beyond them.