Geoforum xxx (2006) xxx–xxx www.elsevier.com/locate/geoforum 0016-7185/$ - see front matter  2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2006.01.002 ARTICLE IN PRESS Negotiated space: Tourists, pilgrims, and the Bahá’í terraced gardens in Haifa  Jay D. Gatrell a,¤ , Noga Collins-Kreiner b a Department of Geography, Geology, and Anthropology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47809, United States b Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Haifa, Haifa 42860, Israel Received 21 April 2005; received in revised form 4 January 2006 Abstract This paper explores the inherent contradiction and conceptual conXict that arises when sacred sites are marketed as secular for the purpose of promoting tourism. The question of conXict is further frustrated within the context of Israel’s contested religious landscape and Israeli policy. Using a Lefebvrian framework, the historical development of the Bahai Gardens in Haifa, Israel, the tourism board’s promotion of the site as Haifa’s primary tourist designation, and the distinct spatial practices that have been used by both constituencies are investigated. Further, the authors posit that the Bahai Gardens are multi-dimensional spaces characterized by two diVerent socio-spa- tial processes and practices that co-exist—the tourist’s and the pilgrim’s. These practices transform the holy site into a secular shared community asset. The paper concludes with a discussion of the socio-spatial implications of the case and its broader implications concern- ing the globalization of tourism and the eYcacy of developing “layered” Lefebvrian triad to try and avoid conXict.  2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Pilgrimage; Tourism; Lefebvre; Bahá’í 1. Introduction The visitor feels they are walking through a spiritual garden, not a beautiful garden”, Sahba said. You can buy the beauty. You cannot buy the spirit. (Bahá’í News, 2001). Religious tourism is a growing sector of the tourism industry. In this paper, we investigate the case of Haifa’s Bahá’í Gardens and World Center to understand place-spe- ciWc practices that enable the tourist and pilgrim to negoti- ate a shared space, preserve the religious integrity of the site, avoid religious conXict, and promote local tourism. The analysis will use a Lefebvrian framework to under- stand the speciWc and “layered” dynamics of the Bahá’í case. To accomplish this task, the unique nature of pilgrim- age tourism, the historical development of the gardens, the tourism board’s promotion of the site as Haifa’s primary tourist attraction, and the distinct place-speciWc spatial practices that have been engineered to negotiate the very diVerent expectations of the industry and the Bahá’í faith are examined. Based on our reading of Lefebvre’s Trialec- tic, we posit that as a result of the garden’s dual secular and sacred purposes two very diVerent socio-spatial processes and practices co-exist—the tourist’s and the pilgrim’s. The article concludes with a discussion of the socio-spatial implications of the case and its broader implications con- cerning the globalization of religious tourism. 2. Pilgrimage in Israel Israel is both an ideal and a problematic location for an emerging religion to establish a contemporary pilgrimage  The manuscript was written with equal contribution from both au- thors. * Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: gejdg@isugw.indstate.edu (J.D. Gatrell), nogack@geo. haifa.ac.il (N. Collins-Kreiner).