Worship can take place anywhere, but most Bahá’í devotional meetings take place either in a private home or in a Bahá’í Centre. In the future, each town or village will have its own House of Worship.

The institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, translated as “The Dawning Place of the Mention of God”, was ordained by Bahá’u’lláh Himself. It is a pivotal concept of Bahá’í community life, giving concrete expression to the unity of devotion and service.

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The physical structure of a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár comprises a central building—a House of Worship—along with several dependencies. While the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár forms the focal point of worship in a geographical area, its purpose is not solely to provide a place for prayer. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that, through the provision of education, healthcare and other services it is also to support the social and economic progress of the community and afford shelter, relief and assistance to those in need. In this connection, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá anticipated that subsidiary branches—such as a hospital, school, university, dispensary, and hospice—would gradually be added to a House of Worship.

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​​Each House of Worship is circular in shape and has nine sides. It is open to people of all races and of all religions or none. The architecture of some of these buildings is very striking. The most well-known are probably the Houses of Worship in New Delhi, popularly known as the Lotus Temple, and in Santiago, Chile. ​