Dear Bahá’í Friends,

The historic associations of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh with Turkey, a land held sacred in the hearts of Bahá’ís, make of the disaster wreaked by the recent earthquake an event of inexpressible sorrow for the Bahá’í world. While we are relieved to have received reports that the lives of our co-religionists were spared, we grieve with all those who have suffered incalculable loss both from the deaths in the thousands of their fellow citizens and from the extensive destruction of property. In addition to our fervent prayers in the Holy Shrines for the bereaved and distressed, we have arranged for a financial contribution to be made towards relief efforts. Moreover, the principal representative of the Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations has been asked to convey to the President of Turkey heartfelt condolences on behalf of our world community.

When the Mount Carmel Projects were initiated in May of 1990, many a heart must have skipped a beat to see the scars spreading around the beautiful structure of the Shrine of the Báb, and the apparent disturbance of Mount Carmel’s ecosystem. Over the years, as the tapestry of the beautiful terraced gardens has spread over the mountainside, it has gladdened many hearts and solaced many eyes. Though not yet fully complete, these gardens are already attracting world attention and becoming a horticultural delight.

A new phase of the landscaping programme has been initiated on the terraces of the Shrine of the Báb. One of the main features is to create wildlife corridors that provide a sustainable environment for beneficial birds, insects and other wildlife to act as natural deterrent to pests, making the use of chemical pesticides redundant, and gradually eliminating them completely. It had been planned from the beginning for the gardens to conform with the highest concepts of chemical-free maintenance.

It may be said that the terrace gardens are designed in three zones. The central axis of the terraces has a formal layout with lawns, annual flower beds, box-like santolina hedges, bushes and trees pruned geometrically, and other ornamental details.

The formal path is bordered with slopes planted mainly with flowering trees, olive and oak trees, and perennial bushes characteristic of the Middle East.

With the completion of the first two zones, the areas beyond are now left free to develop into natural forest to serve as wildlife corridors. It has been noticed that several small birds indigenous to the mountain are returning to nest - the brilliant blue kingfisher, sun-birds with their iridescent plumage, finches that feed on thistles, and quails; also returning are a host of beneficial insects like the ladybird and preying mantis, and animals like the mongoose, hedgehog and land tortoise. Not only are these natural forest areas beginning to provide a protected environment for these creatures, they also serve as a buffer zone between the residential areas surrounding these beautiful gardens by providing visual and sound barriers.

Information taken from Mount Carmel Bahá’í Projects Update, Kalimát 156/July 1999