The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love & fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and immovable foundation.

Baha'u'llah

NOVABC Front Entrance

The NOVA Baha’i Center is open to all. Please join us for discussions, devotionals, and various activities.

The center is one of the larger regional Baha’i centers in the country, serving 300 Baha’is in Loudon County and providing an additional gathering place for the more than 3,000 Baha’is in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

But Michael Nabil Izadi, managing director of the new center in Sterling, emphasizes that the center is open to everyone.

“It’s a beacon of unity that will touch hearts,” he says, “no matter what a person’s background.” He says local Baha’is expect the center to be a spiritual magnet for people of all backgrounds.

The new center is 20 years in the making and was well worth the wait, Izadi says. He calls the striking building, built on land that its original owner designated for religious purposes, a “masterpiece — elegant and dignified, but not extravagant.”

The building was designed by Hossein Amanat, a Baha’i and world-renowned architect who designed several of the buildings surrounding the Baha’i gardens at the Baha’i World Center in Haifa, Israel.

The Northern Virginia Baha’i Center is an 18,000-square-foot, three-level building with a 400-seat auditorium, information center, bookstore/library, kitchen, cafeteria, meeting rooms and classrooms, children’s playroom and youth activities room.

For map and directions, click here.

Baha'i Diversity

“The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men.”

Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 215

Kevin Lock and Children

The Baha’i community places great emphasis on the moral and spiritual education of children and youth, with a focus on providing ongoing opportunities for developing a sense of world citizenship and a lifelong commitment to serve humanity.

The center is focused on providing these opportunities to the community through children’s activities and productive events for all ages.