As the Bahá'í Faith has spread around the world, a first House of Worship (or temple) has been built on each continent, or in the case of Samoa, for all the Pacific and its many islands. All have a dome and nine sides. Designed by Iranian-Canadian architect Hossein Amanat, the House of Worship for the Pacific was erected in Samoa near the capital, Apia. Bahá'ís from all the Pacific Islands and around the world gathered in 1984 for the dedication ceremony. This album is a personal photographic record of that event, with the pictures left over after my best were sent to the Bahá'í World Centre for the archives.

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Bahá'í House of Worship for the Pacific

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House of Worship at night

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Details inside the dome at night

Preparations

In the weeks and days before the dedication, many friends gathered to help with the final preparations, particularly in the gardens being laid out around the House of Worship.

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Laying out the gardens and planting

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Laying the paths; cleaning in the House of Worship

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Many friends gathered to help in the gardens

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Along with many others, I helped in the gardens

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Arrival of Ruhiyyih Khanum, Violette Nakhjavani and Tinai Hancock

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Arrival of Ruhiyyih Khanum, her companion Violette Nakhjavani and Counsellor Tinai Hancock

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Ruhiyyih Khanum welcomed by the Head of State, Malietoa

The day of the Dedication

The guests start arriving in the House of Worship

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Preparing for the arrival of the guests

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The first guests; choir practice

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Lilian Ala'i, the first Baha'i in Samoa, showed the guests their seats

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Pa Ariki, Queen of Rarotonga, Cook Islands, and Counsellor Tinai Hancock from New Zealand

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Interior of the House of Worship

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The House of Worship begins to fill

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Hossein Amanat, architect of the House of Worship, and his wife

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Right: Counsellor Owen Battrick and his wife June

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Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone and his wife

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The sister of Malietoa, Prime Minister of Samoa and his wife; Violette Nakhjavani, Mrs. Ala'i, mother of Counsellor Suhayl Ala'i

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Pa Ariki, Queen of Rarotonga and Counsellor Tinai Hancock; Arrival of the wife of Malietoa

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The Head of State, Malietoa, arriving; with Ruhiyyih Khanum

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Prime Minister of Samoa, wife of Malietoa, Violette Nakhjavani and Counsellor Suhayl Ala'i; Ruhiyyih Khanum rising to speak

Dedication in the House of Worship

The dedication itself featured the Head of State of Samoa, Malietoa Tanumafili II, the first Head of State to become a Bahá'í, and Ruhiyyih Khanum, the widow of the late Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith and a Hand of the Cause of God, at that time the leading Bahá'í dignitary.

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Ruhiyyih Khanum and Malietoa at the podium

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Head of State dedicating the House of Worship

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Leaving the House of Worship

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Audience leaving the House of Worship, including Joyce Dahl (right in blue skirt)

Celebration

After the dedication ceremony, the honoured guests were the centre of a traditional Samoan celebration with dancing and the presentation of many gifts of customary importance.

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Guests of honour included Pa Ariki, the Prime Minister, Ruhiyyih Khanum, Malietoa and his wife, Counsellor Suhayl Ala'i of Samoa

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Presentation of a fine mat, accompanied by a talking chief

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Gifts include whole roast pigs

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Fine mats take many hours to make

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Gifts for the architect, Hossein Amanat

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Photographers included my brother Keith Dahl (right)

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My wife Martine and her film crew recorded the celebration

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Gifts of baskets of food; the Malietoa received a model of the House of Worship

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After the gifts come traditional singing and dancing

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Even the film crew received gifts

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AleAle led the singing and dancing

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A beautiful young woman performs a traditional dance, in this case Sitarih Ala'i, daughter of Lilian and Suhayl Ala'i

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Older women dance around her

After the celebration

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Ruhiyyih Khanum and the Prime Minister leaving the celebration; in the gardens

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Along with the dedication, the Bahá'ís organized a public meeting in Apia where I spoke.

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Family and film crew

My wife Martine Caillard Dahl was commissioned to make the official film of the dedication, so we came from New Caledonia with her film crew, along with our daughter (8) and son (5). I was also asked to be an official photographer and spoke at an associated public meeting in Apia. My brother Keith, a Bahá'í pioneer in American Samoa since 1975, was also an official photographer, and my mother Joyce Dahl joined us from California.

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My mother Joyce, me, daughter and son

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The photographers including Martine, me and brother Keith; taking pictures in the gardens

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Martine and her sound man from New Caledonia

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Me with the children and our vehicle; lunch with Samoan friend

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Martine and her Baha'i friend Mahchid

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Martine and friends from Vanuatu

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Photographers including my brother Keith Dahl; Martine and her film crew

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Photographer in the House of Worship; camaramen, including Philippe Huneau

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Simone Kendall and her children from New Caledonia; in the gardens