The first stop on our tour of Haifa was at The Terraces of the Baháʼí Faith, also known as the Hanging Gardens of Haifa. These garden terraces are around the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel. They are one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Israel. The architect is Fariborz Sahba from Iran, the structural engineers were Karban and Co. from Haifa.
Fariborz Sahba began work in 1987 designing the gardens and oversaw construction. The terraces were opened to the public in June 2001. Beginning at its base, the gardens extend almost a kilometre up the side of Mount Carmel, covering some 200,000 square meters of land. The gardens are linked by a set of stairs flanked by twin streams of running water cascading down the mountainside through the steps and terrace bridges. From the top of the stairs visitors can see spectacular views of the city of Haifa.
