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Baháʼí House of Worship
Place of worship for the Baháʼí Faith / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Baháʼí House of Worship or Baháʼí temple is a place of worship of the Baháʼí Faith. It is also referred to by the name Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, which is Arabic for "Dawning-place of the remembrance of God".
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All Baháʼí Houses of Worship have a round, nine-sided shape and are surrounded by nine pathways leading outwards and nine gardens, reflecting the number nine's symbolic significance for Baháʼís. Inside, there is a prayer hall with seats facing in the direction of the Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh. The Houses of Worship are open throughout the week to both Baháʼís and non-Baháʼís for prayer and reflection, and some also have scheduled weekly devotional services. Scriptural texts from all religions may be recited inside, but sermons, ritualistic ceremonies, and readings from non-scriptural texts are not allowed. In addition, several Houses of Worship have formed choirs that sing music based on the Baháʼí writings, though musical instruments may not be played inside. At present, most Baháʼí devotional meetings occur in individuals' homes or local Baháʼí centres rather than in Houses of Worship.
The first Baháʼí House of Worship was planned during the lifetime of Baháʼu'lláh (1817–1892) and completed in 1919, though it was later destroyed. Next, eight Houses of Worship designated as continental Houses of Worship were completed between 1953 and 2016. They are located in the United States, Uganda, Australia, Germany, Panama, Samoa, India, and Chile, and some have won architectural awards. All other Baháʼí Houses of Worship are designated as either local or national Houses of Worship. The Universal House of Justice announced seven more in 2012, of which six have since been completed, and announced another three in 2023. The Baháʼí Faith envisions that Houses of Worship will be surrounded by dependencies dedicated to social, humanitarian, educational, and scientific pursuits, although none has yet been built up to that extent.