| Foreign
Features
Peaceful
paradise These mosques are important religious venues for Muslim people in Brunei and the locals regularly visit the nation's 120 mosques to pray and recite the holy Qur'an. Bandar Seri Begawan also features a couple of excellent museums. The traditional Brunei Museum has a fine collection and features exhibitions of Borneo Ethnography, natural history and Islamic arts. In the main lobby are displays of ancient clay pottery collected from areas in the region, including Thailand. The
second floor features many wonderful items collected by the
sultan, including illuminated renderings of the holy Qur'an
and centuries-old glassware, ceramics, jewellery, tapestries
and military artefacts. There
is also a presentation of traditional Brunei lifestyles. Visitors
can find out about the customs of Brunei people from births,
marriages and funerals.
A major part of the exhibition is a presentation on the discovery and development of oil and natural gas in Brunei. This is an industry which has contributed to the country's wealth for several decades. A ``must see'' site in Brunei is the Royal Regalia Building, where there is a unique collection of royal Brunei artefacts. The building was built to commemorate the 1992 silver jubilee of the sultan's accession to the throne. Among the displays are ceremonial regalia. The ground floor houses the royal chariot and the gold and silver ceremonial armoury. The second floor features a glittering display of traditional jewel-encrusted coronation crowns and a golden replica of the throne used by the sultan on state occasions. These were all kept in a glass presentation case for security reasons. On typical three-day, two-night group tours, visitors are generally taken to Istana Nurul Iman, the sultan's magnificent residence. The largest palace in the world, the Istana boasts golden domes and vaulted roofs influenced by Islamic and Malay architecture. The palace is only open to the public at the end of Ramadan. For those curious about traditional Brunei life, the Kampung Ayer ``water village'' is home to 30,000 residents who continue to live in the past by the river. The village's centuries-old web of homes, markets, mosques, schools, medical clinic and fire stations all hover on stilts over the shallow Brunei river. It is thought to be the world's largest water village. It is an odd mix of modern and ancient ways because the village is located in the heart of the city but the residents have clung to their traditional way of life. |
The
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque is situated next to the Brunei river
in its own artificial lagoon. Built during the reign of Sultan
Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the architect of modern Brunei, this
mosque is considered one of the most impressive modern mosques
in Asia. There is a giant model of a royal 16th century ship
in the front. 
