Garden of Ridván, Baghdad
Encyclopedia
The Garden of Ridván or Najibiyyih Garden was a wooded garden in what is now Baghdad
's Rusafa District
, on the banks of the Tigris
river. It is notable as the location where Bahá'u'lláh
, founder of the Bahá'í Faith
, stayed for twelve days from April 21 to May 2, 1863, after the Ottoman Empire
exiled him from Baghdad and before commencing his journey to Constantinople
. During his stay in this garden, Bahá'u'lláh announced to his followers that he was the messianic figure of He whom God shall make manifest
, whose coming had been foretold by the Báb
. These events are celebrated annually during the Festival of Ridván
.
River in what is now the Bab al-Mu'azzam
neighbourhood of Baghdad's Rusafa District
, it was directly opposite the district in which Bahá'u'lláh lived during his stay in the city, on the river's western bank.
A ground plan drawn in the 1850s by officers of the Indian Navy (pictured) shows the garden immediately adjacent to the city's citadel, with four avenues meeting at a circular area in the centre. A structure, possibly the garden palace, is located at the edge of the garden near the riverbank. The garden was described as a wooded garden having four "flower-bordered avenues" lined with roses, which were collected by gardeners during Bahá'u'lláh's stay and piled in the center of his tent to be offered to visitors. "So great would be the heap," the chronicler Nabíl-i-A`zam
relates, "that when His companions gathered to drink their morning tea in His presence, they would be unable to see each other across it." Nightingale
s were said to sing loudly in the garden, which, together with the fragrance of the roses, "created an atmosphere of beauty and enchantment". By the side of the river, upstream from Najib Pasha's palace, was an open space in the garden where one of Bahá'u'lláh's companions raised a tent for him, around which a small village of tents was later raised for the rest of his family.
In travelling to Constantinople, Bahá'u'lláh's caravan would take a road that would bring them by the garden, thus it was a logical choice for them stop there in order to assemble and to receive visitors. Access to the garden from the opposite riverbank was possible by way of a ferry across the Tigris, as in Bahá'u'lláh's case, or by "floating bridge", as in the case of the governor and other friends who followed.
(governor) of Baghdad from 1842 to 1847, who built the garden and an attached palace in what was originally an agricultural area outside the city. Although Najib Pasha died in May 1851, the garden was presumably in the hands of his heirs when it was used by Bahá'u'lláh
, during the period of April–May 1863.
Despite its importance to the Bahá'í community, the garden was never owned by the Bahá'ís. It was purchased by the government in 1870, and was used as a guest house for Nasruddin-Shah—who was responsible for Bahá'u'lláh's imprisonment and exile—when he visited Iraq in 1870. The park was further developed during the governorship of Midhat Pasha (1869–1872), who leveled the road leading to the garden and built another road, approximately 400–500 meters in length. The garden was cleared during the early twentieth century, to make way for the Royal Hospital. Baghdad Medical City
, a large complex of teaching hospitals, now stands in its place.
community, was exiled to Baghdad by Nasruddin-Shah, arriving in the spring of 1853. Over the next decade in Baghdad, his influence grew to the point where the Persian government feared he might use it to threaten their sovereignty from abroad. In response, the Persian ambassador in Constantinople demanded Bahá'u'lláh be banished from Baghdad, to which the Ottoman government eventually acceded.
Bahá'u'lláh entered the Najibiyyih Garden on April 22, 1863, in order to receive visitors and allow his family to prepare for his upcoming trip to Constantinople
. He crossed the Tigris
in a small boat accompanied by his sons `Abdu'l-Bahá
, Mírzá Mihdí
and Mírzá Muhammad `Alí
, his secretary Mirza Aqa Jan and some others. After their arrival in the garden, Bahá'u'lláh announced his mission and station for the first time to a small group of family and friends. For the next eleven days Bahá'u'lláh received visitors including the governor of Baghdad. Bahá'u'lláh's family was not able to join him until April 30, the ninth day, since the river had risen and made travel to the garden difficult. On the twelfth day of their stay in the garden, Bahá'u'lláh and his family left the garden and started on their travel to Constantinople.
It was Bahá'u'lláh who gave the garden the name of Ridván ("paradise") during his stay, and the name was thereafter applied to the twelve-day Festival of Ridván
—known as the "King of Festivals"—celebrated annually by Bahá'ís between 21 April and 2 May. Certain days of this festival are tied to major events that took place during the period of Bahá'u'lláh's stay in the garden: the first day celebrates his arrival in the garden; the ninth day, the arrival of his family; and the twelfth day, his caravan's departure towards Constantinople. These three days are major Bahá'í holy days, on which work must be suspended.
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
's Rusafa District
Rusafa
Al Rusafa or Rasafa is the east-bank settlement of Baghdad, Iraq, or the eastern shore of the river Tigris. It is also one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad...
, on the banks of the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
river. It is notable as the location where Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
, founder of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
, stayed for twelve days from April 21 to May 2, 1863, after the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
exiled him from Baghdad and before commencing his journey to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. During his stay in this garden, Bahá'u'lláh announced to his followers that he was the messianic figure of He whom God shall make manifest
He whom God shall make manifest
He whom God shall make manifest is a messianic figure in the religion of Babism. The messianic figure was repeatedly mentioned by the Báb, the founder of Babism, in his book, the Bayán. The Báb described the messianic figure as the origin of all divine attributes, and stated that his command was...
, whose coming had been foretold by the Báb
Báb
Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází was the founder of Bábism, and one of three central figures of the Bahá'í Faith. He was a merchant from Shíráz, Persia, who at the age of twenty-four claimed to be the promised Qá'im . After his declaration he took the title of Báb meaning "Gate"...
. These events are celebrated annually during the Festival of Ridván
Ridván
Riḍván is a twelve-day festival in the Bahá'í Faith, commemorating the commencement of Bahá'u'lláh's prophethood. It begins at sunset on April 20 and continues until sunset, May 2...
.
Location and appearance
The garden was located in a large agricultural area immediately north of the walls of the city of Baghdad, about 450 metres (1,476.4 ft) from the city's northern Mu'azzam gate. Located on the eastern bank of the TigrisTigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
River in what is now the Bab al-Mu'azzam
Bab Al-Moatham
Bab Al-Moatham is a neighborhood of Baghdad, Iraq....
neighbourhood of Baghdad's Rusafa District
Rusafa
Al Rusafa or Rasafa is the east-bank settlement of Baghdad, Iraq, or the eastern shore of the river Tigris. It is also one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad...
, it was directly opposite the district in which Bahá'u'lláh lived during his stay in the city, on the river's western bank.
A ground plan drawn in the 1850s by officers of the Indian Navy (pictured) shows the garden immediately adjacent to the city's citadel, with four avenues meeting at a circular area in the centre. A structure, possibly the garden palace, is located at the edge of the garden near the riverbank. The garden was described as a wooded garden having four "flower-bordered avenues" lined with roses, which were collected by gardeners during Bahá'u'lláh's stay and piled in the center of his tent to be offered to visitors. "So great would be the heap," the chronicler Nabíl-i-A`zam
Nabíl-i-A`zam
Mullá Muḥammad-i-Zarandí , more commonly known as Nabíl-i-A`ẓam or Nabíl-i-Zarandí , was an eminent Bahá'í historian during the time of Bahá'u'lláh, and one of the nineteen Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh...
relates, "that when His companions gathered to drink their morning tea in His presence, they would be unable to see each other across it." Nightingale
Nightingale
The Nightingale , also known as Rufous and Common Nightingale, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
s were said to sing loudly in the garden, which, together with the fragrance of the roses, "created an atmosphere of beauty and enchantment". By the side of the river, upstream from Najib Pasha's palace, was an open space in the garden where one of Bahá'u'lláh's companions raised a tent for him, around which a small village of tents was later raised for the rest of his family.
In travelling to Constantinople, Bahá'u'lláh's caravan would take a road that would bring them by the garden, thus it was a logical choice for them stop there in order to assemble and to receive visitors. Access to the garden from the opposite riverbank was possible by way of a ferry across the Tigris, as in Bahá'u'lláh's case, or by "floating bridge", as in the case of the governor and other friends who followed.
History
The Najibiyyih Garden, as it was first known, was named for Muhammad Najib Pasha, the wāliWali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
(governor) of Baghdad from 1842 to 1847, who built the garden and an attached palace in what was originally an agricultural area outside the city. Although Najib Pasha died in May 1851, the garden was presumably in the hands of his heirs when it was used by Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
, during the period of April–May 1863.
Despite its importance to the Bahá'í community, the garden was never owned by the Bahá'ís. It was purchased by the government in 1870, and was used as a guest house for Nasruddin-Shah—who was responsible for Bahá'u'lláh's imprisonment and exile—when he visited Iraq in 1870. The park was further developed during the governorship of Midhat Pasha (1869–1872), who leveled the road leading to the garden and built another road, approximately 400–500 meters in length. The garden was cleared during the early twentieth century, to make way for the Royal Hospital. Baghdad Medical City
Baghdad Medical City
Baghdad Medical City formerly known as Saddam Medical City is a complex of several teaching hospitals in Bab Al-Moatham, Baghdad, IraqThe Medical City includes the Baghdad University College of Medicine. The largest hospital in the complex is the Surgical Specialties Hospital built in 1980...
, a large complex of teaching hospitals, now stands in its place.
Ridván
Bahá'u'lláh, after being imprisoned in Persia for his involvement with the BábíBábism
The Babi Faith is a religious movement that flourished in Persia from 1844 to 1852, then lingered on in exile in the Ottoman Empire as well as underground. Its founder was Siyyid `Alí Muhammad Shirazi, who took the title Báb—meaning "Gate"—from a Shi'a theological term...
community, was exiled to Baghdad by Nasruddin-Shah, arriving in the spring of 1853. Over the next decade in Baghdad, his influence grew to the point where the Persian government feared he might use it to threaten their sovereignty from abroad. In response, the Persian ambassador in Constantinople demanded Bahá'u'lláh be banished from Baghdad, to which the Ottoman government eventually acceded.
Bahá'u'lláh entered the Najibiyyih Garden on April 22, 1863, in order to receive visitors and allow his family to prepare for his upcoming trip to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. He crossed the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
in a small boat accompanied by his sons `Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
, Mírzá Mihdí
Mírzá Mihdí
Mírzá Mihdí , given the title Ghusn-i-Athar . Mírzá Mihdí was born Mihdí Núrí in Tehran, and named after a deceased brother of his father.-Biography:...
and Mírzá Muhammad `Alí
Mírzá Muhammad `Alí
Mírzá Muhammad `Alí was one of the sons of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He was born from his father's second wife, Fatimih Khanum, whom Bahá'u'lláh married in Tehran in 1849, and she was later known as Mahd-i-'Ulya....
, his secretary Mirza Aqa Jan and some others. After their arrival in the garden, Bahá'u'lláh announced his mission and station for the first time to a small group of family and friends. For the next eleven days Bahá'u'lláh received visitors including the governor of Baghdad. Bahá'u'lláh's family was not able to join him until April 30, the ninth day, since the river had risen and made travel to the garden difficult. On the twelfth day of their stay in the garden, Bahá'u'lláh and his family left the garden and started on their travel to Constantinople.
It was Bahá'u'lláh who gave the garden the name of Ridván ("paradise") during his stay, and the name was thereafter applied to the twelve-day Festival of Ridván
Ridván
Riḍván is a twelve-day festival in the Bahá'í Faith, commemorating the commencement of Bahá'u'lláh's prophethood. It begins at sunset on April 20 and continues until sunset, May 2...
—known as the "King of Festivals"—celebrated annually by Bahá'ís between 21 April and 2 May. Certain days of this festival are tied to major events that took place during the period of Bahá'u'lláh's stay in the garden: the first day celebrates his arrival in the garden; the ninth day, the arrival of his family; and the twelfth day, his caravan's departure towards Constantinople. These three days are major Bahá'í holy days, on which work must be suspended.