Baha'i Shrine and Gardens, Haifa, Israel, 2008 (photo)

The Baha'i Shrine and Gardens in Haifa are the international headquarters for the Baha'i Faith and a pilgrimage destination of Baha'i believers from all over the world. The unique design of the gardens, by Iranian Baha'i architect Fariborz Sahba, combine geometrical shapes with the conservation of natural and historic landscape features. A staircase of 19 terraces extend all the way up the northern slope of Mt. Carmel. At the heart of the gardens stands the golden-domed Shrine of the Bab, which is the resting place of the Prophet-Herald of the Baha'i Faith. It was designed by William Sutherland Maxwell, a Canadian Bahai architect, and was built between 1949-1953. The Baha'i Gardens in Haifa and Acre (Akko) were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in July 2008.