1994: The New National Spiritual Assemblies in Central Asia

First National Spiritual Assembly of Kazakhstan 1994

Baha'is first settled in Central Asia during Baha'u'llah's lifetime, when the region was known as Turkistan. A flourishing community developed, and the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar (House of Worship) of the Baha'i world was raised in Ashkhabad in the early part of the century. In 1925, the National Spiritual Assembly of Turkistan, with its seat in Ashkhabad, came into being.

The Baha'is of Central Asia obeyed the Soviet government's subsequent ban on Baha'i institutions and religious practice and the National Spiritual Assembly was itself dissolved in 1939, but Baha'is in the region retained their faith as a matter of private belief and conscience. When the policy of glasnost emerged in the 1980s, and then the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, the surviving Baha'is began to share their Faith more openly with the help of fellow Baha' is from other countries who were then allowed to travel to the region. By April 1992, there were approximately 500 Baha' is and eight Local Spiritual Assemblies in Central Asia, and the Regional Spiritual Assembly of Central Asia, with its seat in Ashkhabad, had been re-formed.

1995: Oatan Marawa Baha'i School in Kiribati

The Oatan Marawa Baha'i School open in Kiribati in April 1995 

(The Baha'i World 1994-1995)

1921: The “birth of the Administrative Order, the nucleus and pattern of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh”

…the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "an event which signalized at once the end of the Heroic Age of our Faith, the opening of the Formative Age and the birth of the Administrative Order, the nucleus and pattern of the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh." 

- The Universal House of Justice  (From a message dated 15 April 1971, ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

1972: One hundred and ten National Spiritual Assemblies

11 February 1971

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

REJOICE ANNOUNCE ALL FRIENDS FORMATION DURING RIDVAN 1972 NINE ADDITIONAL NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES RAISING TOTAL NUMBER PILLARS UNIVERSAL HOUSE JUSTICE TO ONE HUNDRED AND TEN. THREE IN AFRICA MALAGASY REPUBLIC REUNION SEYCHELLES THREE IN ASIA EAST PAKISTAN NEPAL SINGAPORE ONE IN AUSTRALASIA NORTHWEST PACIFIC OCEAN COMPRISING GUAM CAROLINES MARIANAS MARSHALLS TWO IN EUROPE ICELAND AND REPUBLIC IRELAND.

FOUR OF THESE SEYCHELLES EAST PAKISTAN SINGAPORE NORTHWEST PACIFIC CONSTITUTE SUPPLEMENTARY ACHIEVEMENTS NINE YEAR PLAN. URGE PIONEERS SCHEDULED ALL THESE AREAS SETTLE POSTS WITHOUT DELAY. CALL UPON RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES BRACE THEMSELVES EXERT SUPREME EFFORT FAST FLEETING WEEKS BEFORE COMING RIDVAN ESTABLISH AS MANY ASSEMBLIES AS POSSIBLE THEREBY BROADENING STRENGTHENING FOUNDATIONS PROJECTED NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. FERVENTLY PRAYING HOLY SHRINES FOLLOWERS MOST GREAT NAME MAY SEIZE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES PRESENT HOUR AND SPARE NO EFFORT UNTIL GOALS PLAN ARE FULLY ACCOMPLISHED THEREBY ATTRACTING TO THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES INESTIMABLE BLESSINGS ANCIENT BEAUTY.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986)

1950: First Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Tokyo, Japan

Eight members of the first Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Tokyo, Japan, 1950-1951. 

(The Baha'i World 1950-1954)

The Báb’s prison room in Tabriz

The Báb was imprisoned in Tabriz in 1848 in this now (1953) crumbling prison room of the old brick Ark. 

(The Baha'i World 1950-1954)