The spiritual and administrative center of the Bahá’í Faith is permanently established in the Acre-Haifa area of northern Israel, following the explicit instructions of Bahá’u’lláh.

The burial place, or shrine, of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre and that of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa are the holiest spots on earth for Bahá’ís. Other sites associated with the life of Bahá’u’lláh as well as the burial site of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are revered by Bahá’ís as holy places.

The shrines are the object of pilgrimage for thousands of Bahá’ís each year.

The administrative offices are positioned in an Arc across Mount Carmel in Haifa and include:

• the Seat of the Universal House of Justice,
• the International Teaching Centre,
• the Centre for the Study of the Texts,
• the International Archives Building.

Also in Haifa are the Bahá’í International Community’s Secretariat and Office of Public Information.

The Bahá’í World Centre is known for the gardens surrounding the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh near Acre, and also for the gardens and terraces surrounding the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa.

Both shrines are open to the public.