HAIFA, Israel — The opening ceremonies of the Baha'i terraces on Mount Carmel will be carried on a live, on-demand Web cast on 22 May 2001 at 15:00 GMT.

The Web cast will enable the public and many of the world's five million Baha'is to watch the proceedings from their homes.

The ceremonies will mark the end of a 10-year, US$250 million project to complete key elements of the spiritual and administrative center of the Baha'i Faith. The majestic garden terraces now stretch one kilometer from the crest of the mountain to the base, and surround the gold-domed Shrine of the Bab, a well-known symbol of the city of Haifa.

More than 3,000 Baha'is from 170 countries are expected to attend the open-air event on the evening of 22 May, which will feature specially commissioned music by contemporary composers from Norway and Tajikistan. At the height of the ceremony, the terraces will be dramatically illuminated.

The free Web cast will be accessible on the Baha'i World News Service at www.bahaiworldnews.org in Real Media format and will be archived for future access. Other Web sites are free to establish links to this site for the Web cast.

The Web cast is copyrighted and may not be used for commercial purposes. An official set of VHS tapes will be available for sale at a later date.