Abud House

Acre, Israel

Behind Acre's ancient fortifications, the Abud House overlooks the vast Mediterranean Sea through wide pointed arches and turquoise windows embedded in austere whitewashed walls. A semi-open vaulted space, stretched to the height of two floors, and an arcaded loggia in the third floor wrap the solemn block from three sides. This intricate arrangement of spaces creates plays of deep light and shadow within the building, bestowing it a lighter appearance.

From 1871 to 1878 the Abud House served as the abode of the founder of the Baha'i faith, Baha'ullah ("The Glory of God"). Baha'ullah, along with seventy of his followers, were exiled from Persia and imprisoned in Acre's citadel for two years before they were released and moved into private houses. After seven years in the Abud House, where Baha'ullah wrote the Baha'i book of laws (al-kitab al-aqdas, the holiest book) and preached for the unification of all humanity, he moved outside of Acre's walls to the Bahja (the Baha'i gardens), where he died and was buried. His son, Abd al-Baha Abbas stayed in the Abud house with his family until 1896. The house was later purchased by the Baha'is and is kept as a place of pilgrimage.


Sources:

Dichter, Bernhard. 2000. Akko-Sites from the Turkish Period. Haifa: University of Haifa, 182.