Asia

[Visited: February 2001]

Brunei is a predominantly Muslem country, which translates into some impressive mosques to be seen everywhere. I will concentrate on two of those which I believe to be the most important ones. First, the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque right on the river banks of Bandar and in the centre of town. In taking the pictures for this site, I respected the will that no pictures should be taken inside. This means that you will miss out on the spectacular interior of these buildings.
Its easily recognizable golden dome makes it the anchor of Bandar. Using English stained glass, golden mosaics and Italian marble the architects have made an elegant structure. Fairy-tale like chandeliers hang inside and outside the prayer hall. Outside, anchored forever in the river, lies the replica of a 16th century mahligar (royal barge).
The other truly majestic mosque is the Jame Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque near the Gadong area of the capital. Funding by the 29th sultan was a guarantee that nothing has been spared to make this mosque a beauty. Fountains with coloured water, solid wooden doors from the Philippines, gold plated tiles and marble stones, enormous chandeliers with Austrian chrystal glass, Italian marble columns and walls together with fine Quranic calligraphy make this mosque a feast for the eyes. Additionally, you can see a more than 200 years old version of the Quran, all in elegant calligraphy. Most impressive detail to me was that the mistakes (grammatical and content) have been meticulously corrected.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Bandar Seri Begawan mosques (Brunei). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Bandar Seri Begawan mosques.
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Bandar Seri Begawan mosques > Brunei > Asia

[Visited: February 2001]

Around the World in 80 Clicks