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Bahá'í Houses of Worship

Bahá'í Houses of Worship or Mas͟hriqu'l-Ad͟hkár (Arabic: مشرق اﻻذكار "Dawning-place of the remembrance of God") exemplify the principles of the Bahá'í Faith of unity in diversity, the unity of God, the unity of His prophets and religions, and the unity of humanity. These spiritual principles give rise to new forms of architectural expression that serve as spaces in which people of all beliefs, cultures, and backgrounds gather together, meditate, reflect, and pray, and around which will be built social, humanitarian, educational, and scientific institutions. The design of each Bahá'í House of Worship reflects unifying elements of their environment, emerging from a grassroots approach of consultation with the native people, each having nine sides and nine entrances, the number nine being symbolic of unity. Eight continental and two local Bahá’í Houses of Worship have been built so far.