Bahja Palace

8. Bahja Palace
Baha and members of his family by his second and third wives lived in the mansion and the abutting building. Sir Abbas Effendi, his mother, his half sister, his wife and children lived in Acre. The mansion is situated a few miles away from the town of Acre. After Baha’s death and during Sir Abas Effendi’s tenure of office Mirza Muhammad Ali and members of his family and others continued to live in the mansion. Mirza Muhammad Ali owned an undivided share in the mansion, which devolved on his heirs after his death.

By effluxion of time the mansion had fallen into disrepair. Mirza Muhammad Ali had no money to effect the necessary repairs. When Shoghi Effendi approached him through a third party and offered to repair the mansion on the understanding that he would quit the mansion, Mirza Muhammad Ali responded to the offer and moved out of the mansion into the abutting building and took with him Baha’s chattels such as bedding materials sheets, pillows, cushions et etc. Shoghi Effendi had their duplicated made and installed in the mansion. The necessary repairs to the mansion were effected by Shoghi Effendi.

After Mirza Muhammad Ali’s death his sons continued to live in the abutting building which was owned in undivided shares by a local Arab Christian and Unitarian Bahai. Following the establishment of the state of Israel, the undivided share of the local Arab, whose heirs had left the country vested in the public custodian of absentee properties and was acquired by Shoghi Effendi.

The undivided share of the Unitarian Bahai was purchased for Shoghi Effendi, but Shoghi Effendi could not acquire the vacant possession of the building available to the tenants, i.e. Mirza Muhammad Ali’s son Mirza Aminullah, and Baha’s grand daughter Maryam Khanum, daughter of Mirza Majd-al-Din, son of Baha’s full brother Mirza Musa entitled Kalim (Interlocutor) because he talked to god, Baha.
When alternative accommodation was provided by the state of Israel they moved out, and demolition operations were taken in hand. Shoghi Effendi however had already passed to the mercy of god.