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Showing posts with the label Bahá'í House of Worship

Chicago, day 5, the Bahá'í House of Worship

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Not far from the university campus sits the  Bahá'í House of Worship. At night this large domed marble edifice glowed like a skinned onion against the sky. The  Bahá'í  faith is an independent world religion that believes in a unified deity encompassing all other faiths. It has 5 million followers and was founded in Persia in the mid 19th century. There are 8 temples around the world and this one is it's North American base. If you are interested this is their website http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/ . The temple itself was built in 1953 and designed by Louis Bourgeois who spent 8 years on the design. It has a steel superstructure with concrete panels incorporating quartz crystal and white cement to create the lacy filigree which forms the exterior. The internal space is a single entity and is very awe inspiring. You are not supposed to take pictures inside, which I respected. The gardens are very beautiful too but not at their best on a February night.