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| Baha'i Temple in Kampala, Uganda |
African Bahá’í history had its beginnings in Egypt, which
was opened to the Faith during the period of the ministry of Bahá’u’lláh; it
gathered momentum during the ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá when Bahá’í localities
were established in South Africa and Tunisia. But the early effects of these
spiritual endowments became more obvious with the remarkable success of the
two-year Africa Project (1951―53) when 16 territories were opened, bringing to
25 the total number of countries and islands in which Bahá’ís resided; this
preceded the opening of the 33 virgin territories called for in the beloved
Guardian's Ten Year Global Crusade, a period of astonishing development in
Africa that evoked the admiration and praise of Shoghi Effendi as many people
from different tribes entered the Cause, a number of administrative
institutions were formed, and it became possible to raise up the Mother Temple
of Africa in the heart of the continent. - The Universal House of Justice (From
a message dated Ridvan 153 addressed to the Followers of Bahá’u’lláh in Africa;
Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1986-2001)
