- 1870-00-00 —
`Údí Khammár completed the restoration and expansion of the mansion at Bahjí originally built by `Abdu'lláh Páshá in 1821. [BBD42, 128; DH106-107]
- See DH107 for the inscription he placed over the door.
- 1872-00-01 —
Restoration of the House of the Báb began at the request of Khadíjih Bigum with the permission and the financial support of Bahá'u'lláh. She requested that the House not be restored to its original configuration to avoid painful memories. Therefore,
substantial changes were made to the structure of the House. These included making two of the rooms part of the expanded courtyard and moving the small pool.
- After these changes were made, Khadíjih Bagum took up residence in the Blessed House. She lived there for
the next nine years, until her passing in October 1882. [EB232; The Genesis of the Bábi-Bahá'í Faiths in Shíráz and Fárs p93 by A. Rabbani; MBBA172]
- To protect the House further, a small house next to it on the eastern wall was bought. It belonged to a certain Hájí Muhammad-
Ja`far-i-Hadíd. The elders of the Afnán family asked Hájí Mírzá `Abdu'l-Hamid to live there. He was one of the early believers in the Báb and married to the daughter of Hujjat-i-Zanjani. From the first day Hujjat's daughter arrived in Shiraz, she was a close companion of Khadíjih Bagum, who had a particular affinity for the families of the Bábí martyrs. An underground passageway was constructed connecting the two homes. It was used as the main entrance for the House of the Báb so that the neighborhood would not take notice of the occupants. [MBBA171-172]
- After her ascension, as instructed by Bahá'u'lláh, her sister, Zahra Bagum, moved her residence to the Sanctified House. She
lived there until her passing in 1891. [MBBA172]
Note: During the early days of the Afnán family, there was considerable competition within certain quarters of the family over the House of the Báb. On several occasions, the issue was brought to Bahá'u'lláh. He consistently reaffirmed the hereditary custodianship of Zahra Bagum and her descendants. By the time of `Abdu'l-Bahá's Ministry, only a few family members questioned the custodianship rights. However, to ensure complete unity, the Master reaffirmed the hereditary right of Núri'd-Dín and, thereafter, Mírzá Habíb. Before his passing, Mírzá Habíb passed the custodianship to his oldest son, Abú'l-Qásim Afnán. [MBBA115n165] - 1903-07-20 —
`Abdu'l-Bahá commissioned the second restoration of the House of the Báb in Shíráz under the supervision of Áqá Mírzá Áqá, an Afnán and a nephew of `Abdu'l-Bahá. He had closed his business affairs in Egypt and moved his entire family to Shiraz to handle the project. Having been raised in the House Áqá Mírzá Áqá was the only living person who remembered the details of the house as it had been before the first major renovation. [AB108; EB236; GPB300; MBBA154, 176-177]
- Mi`mar-Bashi began the renovation project. They demolished the whole structure. The ground under the building was excavated until the original foundation of the House was uncovered. The workers began to raise the walls and rebuild the House on the same foundation and following the original design. Each day, in this small area, over 30 construction crew laboured devotedly. Within two months, as `Abdu'l-Bahá had commanded, the structural walls were completed in exactly the same design as that of the time of the Báb. Soon the rooms were finished and the doors and windows added.
- Starting on the 23rd of October 1903 Áqá Mírzá Áqá fell ill and, day by day, his condition grew worse. However, until a week before his passing, he would come each day to the site of the construction and, although suffering from illness, spend the day supervising all the work. He passed away on the 15th of November 1903 after completing the task entrusted to him by `Abdu'l-Bahá. It was then that the wisdom of the Master's statement "delay will cause a colossal catastrophe" became clear, as Áqá Mírzá Áqá was the only one of all the kindred who knew the original design of the House. After his passing, the rest of the work, consisting of painting and decoration, was completed. [MBBA177]
- Also see MBBA219-222 for a "back-story".
- See MBBA177-185 for the story of how the Bahá'ís helped to renovate the mosque of Masjid-i-Shamshirgarha on the adjacent property.
- The House of the Báb was located on Shamshirgarha Street. [MBBA161]
- 1931-05-01 —
Lilian Barron McNeill, an English Bahá'í, and her husband, a retired British army officer, rented the house at Mazra'ih. [DH92]
- They restored the house, which had deteriorated, preserving those parts unchanged from the time of Bahá'u'lláh. [DH92–3, BW19P779-782]
- 1937-04-11 —
The passing of Dr. Zíá Bagdádí (b. February 9, 1882, Beirut, Lebanon) in Augusta, Georgia. He was buried in Westover Memorial Park, Augusta, Georgia.
- Dr. Bagdádí attended the American University of Beirut and graduated as a physician. In September 1909, on 'Abdu'l-Bahá's advice, he moved to Chicago to further his medical studies and soon emerged as a pillar of the Chicago Bahá'í community. A major translator of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's tablets into English and the editor of the Persian pages of Star of the West, he accompanied 'Abdu'l-Bahá on much of His North American travels in 1912.
In the year 1929, Dr. Bagdádí wrote a book telling of his birthplace and travels in the Orient under the title, Treasures of the East. He wrote of his experiences in the presence of Bahá'u'lláh as a child.
- He married Zeenat Khanum who was the daughter of Hasan Aqa Tabrizi, aunt of Ali Nakhjavani who went to the Holy Land to give information relating to the restoration of the house of 'Abdu'llah Pasha. Zeenat's sister was Fatimih Khanum (Ali Nakhjavani's mother) who spent her youth in service to the Greatest Holy Leaf. These two sisters, when they were young girls in 'Akka, nine and eleven years old, were accepted into the household of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. They were married in the first Bahá'í marriage in Montreal, Canada which took place on April 30, 1914. [Bahá'í Chronicles] iiiii
- 1946-00-00 — The restoration of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Tihrán was completed.
- 1947-09-13 —
The passing of Haji Mahmúd Qassabchí. In 1933 Qassabchí had suffered a severe attack of paralysis which he narrowly survived and as a result of which he could hardly move or speak for the rest of his life. He was buried at Salman Pak, about thirty miles southeast of Baghdad. [BW11p502-503]
- He had become a Bahá'í in 1911 after reading accounts of the travels of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the Star of the West. Prior to that he had made the acquaintance of Músá Banání and had been impressed with the young man's honesty. With regard to his service to the Faith, after WWI he undertook the restoration of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad. A few years later he played a leading part in the purchase and the establishment of the Hazíratu'l-Quds of Baghdad and he participated in no small measure to the erection of the Hazíratu'l-Quds in the village of Avasiq, the first built in Iraq.
- His most imperishable service was the construction of three rooms at the rear of the Shrine of the Báb that were temporarily used as the International Bahá'í Archives before the construction of its permanent seat. [BW11p502-503]
- 1948-00-09 —
The owners of a house near the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh fled and the house became government property. [DH226]
- Shoghi Effendi restored the house and made it a pilgrim house. [DH226]
- He acquired the title in about 1956 as part of the exchange of the Ein Gev properties. [DH226]
- See The Limited Times 11Nov22 for a history of the Ein Gev properties.
- 1951-03-02 — Shoghi Effendi announced the completion of the restoration of the House of 'Abbúd. [MBW8]
- 1956-12-09 —
The passing of Juliet Thompson (b. Washington, DC 1873 - d. December 9th, 1956 New York). [BW13:862-864]
- For her memorial service at the House of Worship see Bahá'í News p475, 493.
- After learning of the Bahá'í Faith in Washington DC near 1898 she traveled to Paris at the invitation of Laura Dreyfus-Barney's mother. Later in 1901 in Paris she met Thomas Breakwell, who gave her Arthur de Gobineau's description in French of the Execution of the Báb which confirmed her faith. In Paris she took classes on the religion from Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl. [Wiki]
- She published her book I, Mary Magdalene in 1940. It is available at bahai-library.com/.
The Diary of Juliet Thompson was published by Kalimat Press in 1983 from her 1947 typescript.
- The restoration of Juliet's grave took place on December 5, 2010. After a 54 year delay, the new gravestone, commissioned by the NSA, was unveiled in the Beechwood Cemetery in New Rochelle, New York, engraved with this moving tribute from Shoghi Effendi:
"Deplore loss of much-loved, greatly admired Juliet Thompson, outstanding, exemplary handmaid of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Over half-century record of manifold, meritorious services, embracing the concluding years of Heroic and opening decades of Formative Ages of Bahá'í Dispensation, won her enviable position in the glorious company of triumphant disciples of the beloved Master in the Abha Kingdom. Advise hold memorial gathering in Mashriqu'l-Adhkar to pay befitting tribute to the imperishable memory of one so wholly consecrated to the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh, and fired with such consuming devotion to the Center of His Covenant."
[December 6, 1956] (Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 170)
- 1959-00-01 — The mansion at Mazra'ih was renovated. [MC219]
- 1959-00-05 — The House of 'Abbúd was renovated and restored. [MC219]
- 1970-00-00 — The House of Bahá'u'lláh in Tihrán underwent major repair and a fundamental restoration of both exterior and interior parts.
- 1973-00-00 — The House of Bahá'u'lláh in Tihrán and its adjacent bírúní (reception area) were completely restored to their original structure, design and elegance.
- 1977-12-01 — The restoration of the house of 'Abdu'lláh Páshá began. [BW17:84]
- 1983-04-21 —
The renovation of the House of 'Abdu'lláh Páshá in 'Akká was completed. [BW18:77]
- Delegates attending the fifth International Convention were the first pilgrims to visit it. [BW18:77]
- For pictures see BW18:78–80.
- 1986-04-21 —
The Seven Year Plan was successfully completed. (1979-1986) [BW19:23]- For a graph showing the growth of the Bahá'í Faith in this period see BW19:23.
- For statistics on the Bahá'í Faith at this date see BINS155:13 and BW19:61–98, 112–46.
- A series of further plans from 1964 to 1986, The Nine Year Plan (1964-19730), The Five Year Plan (1974-1979), and the Seven Year Plan (1979-1986) carried forward the process of establishing the Bahá'í Faith in every country and major territory of the world, such that, once it became possible to spread the Baha'i Faith in the former communist countries in the 1990s, this process was more or less complete. [Patheos website]
- the restoration and opening to pilgrimage of the southern wing of the House of 'Abdu'llah Pasha;
- the completion and occupation of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice;
- the approval of detailed plans for the remaining edifices around the Arc;
- the expansion of the membership and responsibilities of the International Teaching Centre and the Continental Boards of Counsellors;
- the establishment of the offices of Social and Economic Development, and of Public Information;
- the dedication of the Mother Temple of the Pacific, and dramatic progress with the building of the Temple in India;
- the expansion of the teaching work throughout the world, resulting in the formation of twenty-three new National Spiritual Assemblies, nearly 8,000 new Local Spiritual Assemblies, the opening of more than 16,000 new localities and representation within the Baha'i community of 300 new tribes;
- the issuing of 2,196 new publications, 898 of which are editions of the Holy Text and the enrichment of Baha'i literature by productions in 114 new languages; the initiation of 737 new social and economic development projects;
- the addition of three radio stations, with three more soon to be inaugurated--
these stand out as conspicuous achievements in a Plan which will be remembered as having set the seal on the third epoch of the Formative Age. [Ridván Message 1986]
- 1996-04-21 —
- 2001-11-12 — The World Centre Endowment Fund was inaugurated by the Universal House of Justice.
"…we have decided to set up the World Centre Endowment Fund, for the preservation, upkeep, and security of the edifices and precincts of the Spiritual and Administrative Centres of the Faith — activities that currently form so large a part of the responsibilities of the Bahá'í International Fund. This decision follows the example of Shoghi Effendi, who during his ministry dedicated the income from lands in the environs of the Jordan Valley for the upkeep of the Holy Shrines."
• The Universal House of Justice, 2001 Nov 12, International Endowment Fund
- 2004-06-00 — After 15 years of negotiations, research, and planning, the restoration work began on the cell used to imprison Bahá'u'lláh when He was first incarcerated in 'Acre. Approved by government authorities keen to preserve the heritage of the site, the project was supervised and financed by the Bahá'í World Centre. [BWNS336]
- 2004-11-24 — The announcement of the completion of the restoration of the prison citadel that was occupied by Bahá'u'lláh and His family upon arrival in Akka I on August 31st, 1868. [BWNS336]
- 2008-05-12 —
After several years of negotiations, agreement was reached with the Israeli government for the acquisition of a rectangular plot of land 90,000 square metres in area, located between Bahjí and the main road. This land was being used by the government. This acquisition opened the way to further beautification of the environs of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, the Qiblih of the people of Bahá, described by 'Abdu'l-Bahá as the "luminous Shrine" and "the place around which circumambulate the Concourse on high".
- The property in the possession of the Faith had been further augmented by the conclusion, after negotiations which extended over some twenty years, of a land exchange with the Israel Land Administration, by which a portion of the land bequeathed to the Faith in the Ein Sara neighbourhood of Nahariya, north of 'Akká, had been exchanged for an additional 100,000 square metres to the east of the Mansion of Bahjí, an area of about 32,000 square metres adjoining the island at the Riḍván Garden and the caravanserai adjacent to the Mansion of Mazra'ih. They reported that discussions were continuing with the authorities for a further exchange, using more of the Ein Sara land to acquire additional property in close proximity to the Bahá'í Holy Places in the 'Akká area required to protect the sanctity and tranquillity of these places in the face of the rapid urbanization of the region.
- It was also announced that work had been completed on the restoration of the Junayn Gardens, a small farmhouse and orchard north of Bahjí visited occasionally by Bahá'u'lláh, which was subsequently donated to the Faith. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 12 May, 2008]
- 2009-12-15 — The Universal House of Justice gave a progress report on the work that was being done at the World Centre.
The International Archives Building was reopened for visits by pilgrims after a three-year programme for its restoration and improvement. The exterior stonework was repaired. The foundations of the building have been waterproofed, and the entire structure made earthquake resistant through incorporation within it of a reinforced concrete and steel frame, not visible to visitors, extending from the foundations to the roof level.
Interior improvements included installation of an attractive granite floor at the main level; use of high-quality display cabinets similar to the original cabinets, designed to ensure preservation of the objects on display far into the future; development of basement facilities for receiving pilgrims; provision of means for persons with a physical disability to have access to the building; and installation of complete environmental, safety, and security systems.
Progress was made with the restoration of the edifice of the Shrine of the Báb. A comprehensive programme for the structural reinforcement of the original building and the superstructure for earthquake resistance was nearing completion. Restoration and repair work to the exterior stonework and the ornamental metal balustrades was ongoing. Work was advancing on the preparation for use by pilgrims and other visitors of the three rooms on the southern side of the Shrine, and arrangements were being made for restoration of the dome and replacement of its golden tiles to recover the original lustre. Installation of a new electrical and environmental control system was in progress.
In the Akka work was continuing in both the Riḍván Garden and the newly acquired land surrounding the resting-place of Bahá'u'lláh, the Qiblih of the Bahá'í world. [15 December 2009] - 2010-10-29 — After three years the restoration, work was completed on the Ridván Garden some two kilometers southeast of the old city of Acre. The work included the restoration of a circulating water system that recreated the island as well as an Ottoman flour mill that was in use during the time of Bahá'u'lláh. That site, designated by Him as "Our Verdant Isle", was once again open to pilgrims, who will have the opportunity to experience the tranquillity of the surroundings that greeted the Blessed Beauty when He visited it at the termination of His nine-year confinement within the walls of the prison-city of 'Akká. [BWNS797; 29 October 2010]
- 2011-04-12 — After more than two years of extensive restoration work the Shrine of the Báb was complete. The project required the restoration and conservation of the interior and exterior of the original 1909 structure, as well as measures to strengthen the Shrine against seismic forces. An entirely new retrofit design – combining concrete, steel and carbon fibre wrap technology was needed for the whole building, from its foundation and original masonry to its octagon, drum and dome. More than 120 rock anchors were fixed into the mountain behind newly fortified retaining walls. [BWNS816; 12 April 2011]
- 2021-04-08 — The Bahá'í World Centre announced the completion of a two-year project of seismic strengthening and restoration work on the House of 'Abbúd. Bahá'u'lláh and His family moved to the house next door, the House of 'Údí K̲h̲ammár, in 1871. In March of 1873, the owner of the adjacent house, Ilyás `Abbúd, offered to provide a room in his house for `Abdu'l-Bahá and Munírih Khánum after their marriage. He did this by opening a door in a contiguous wall. Later in 1973 'Abbud moved to the mansion at Bahji and the two houses fully were joined. The building had last been restored in the 1950's by the Guardian in preparation to receive pilgrims.
The restoration work was done to reproduce the House exactly as it had been when the Holy Family occupied it. No effort was spared. Even traditional glass-blowing techniques were used to produce the windowpanes.
[BWNS1501] - 2021-11-08 —
The Baha'i World Centre gave details of the conservation work that was continuing on the Mazra'ih Mansion. Most significantly, the room that Bahá'u'lláh's occupied had been made ready to receive pilgrims.
This Holy Place has been described by the Universal House of Justice in a letter to all Bahá'í National Spiritual Assemblies as "that serene and sacred spot, the first residence of Bahá'u'lláh after nine years' confinement within the walls of the prison-city of 'Akká."
- The work, which had begun more than a year earlier had been carried out on the courtyard and its wall as well as portion of the Roman aqueduct that runs through the site. Restoration work was also done on the stables and other structural element on the site.
The Universal House of Justice further states: "In the coming years, conservation work will be carried out on the other rooms of the Mansion, and the surrounding area will be landscaped to provide a large, open space for visitors to walk around and enjoy, intending to capture the tranquil spirit of this blessed spot." [BWNS1547]
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