Just one mile from Northwestern’s campus, a pearly white temple displaying intricate symbols from the world’s major religions towers over North Shore suburbia.
Wilmette’s Bahai House of Worship is one of the faith’s seven temples worldwide and the only one in North America.
Despite the temple’s proximity to NU, few students seem to know it exists, and those who do aren’t familiar with the Bahai faith.
“It’s kind of ridiculous that it’s at our front door, and we don’t even use it,” Weinberg senior E.J. Porth said. “People may know about the temple, but not a lot of people go in and sit down.”
When discussions began to build a temple in North America, the two largest Bahai communities were in Chicago and New York City. Wilmette was chosen after local Bahais made a strong push for it.
“The Bahais in Chicago just got on the ball quicker,” said Nura Mowzoon, the Bahai House of Worship’s volunteer and tour coordinator.
Although planning for the temple began in 1903, construction did not begin until 1921 and it was completed in 1953.
The temples around the world differ in the architectural elements and materials, but all have three common features- nine sides, a central dome and gardens.
“The number nine is symbolic because it’s the highest single digit,” Mowzoon said. “It represents unity.”
The dome allows everyone to congregate in a common space that points to a single source, Mowzoon said. The gardens are a symbol for the diversity of mankind.
These three elements found in the temples reflect central teachings of the faith.
“Baha’u’llah, who was the prophet-founder of the faith, taught humanity as one,” Mowzoon said. “So regardless of your race, age, class, caste or sex, we’re all equal in the sight of God.”
Followers of the Bahai faith point to this emphasis on equality as a characteristic that makes the religion unique.
“It has a lot of progressive ideals that, while found in other faiths, I think are put in the forefront of Bahai teachings,” said Sasha Bayan Khadivian, a Music and Weinberg sophomore and chairwoman of NU’s Bahai Club.
Today, the faith has about six million members and is the second fastest growing religion after Islam.
Although the religion is expanding, several misconceptions remain, Mowzoon said. Many people, for instance, believe the Bahai faith is a sect of Islam that chooses the best aspects from world religions and incorporates them into its own philosophy.
The majority of people who visit the Wilmette temple are not members of the faith.
“This was built by the Bahais of the world for anybody to pray and meditate as they like,” Mowzoon said. “So you don’t have to be a Bahai to come here.”
