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Baha'i holy places in Israel added to UN World Heritage list: the Shrine of Baha'u'llah and the Shrine of the Bab join the Vatican, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the Pyramids, among other places, as sites of "outstanding universal value.".

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ACRE, Israel -- The holiest place on earth for Baha'is is an 19th century mansion and surrounding grounds outside this historic city in northern Israel. Known as Bahji, it is the final resting place of Baha'u'llah and the main pilgrimage site for the more than five million Baha'is worldwide.

Now that site and another Baha'i holy place in nearby Haifa have been added to the United Nations' World Heritage list, recognized for their "outstanding universal value" as part of humanity's cultural heritage.

The decision by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, meeting in Quebec City, Canada, on 8 July 2008, means that the Shrines of Baha'u'llah and the Bab join a list of internationally recognized sites like the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, and Stonehenge.

The World Heritage list also includes places of global religious significance like the Vatican, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the remains of the recently destroyed Bamiyan Buddha statues in Afghanistan.

The Baha'i shrines are the first sites connected with a religious tradition born in modern times to be added to the list, which is maintained by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

"The decision to include the Baha'i Faith's two most holy sites on the World Heritage list is noteworthy because it adds yet another layer of international recognition to the Baha'i Faith as an historic and cultural phenomenon of global importance," said Albert Lincoln, secretary general of the Baha'i International Community.

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"In so doing, it highlights an historic process that has unfolded in the last two hundred years, wherein a small persecuted group originally found only in the Middle East has spread and taken root around the globe, to the...

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