A bridge leads to the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in the capital of Bandar Seri Begawan. The bridge is often crowded with tourists and locals taking selfie photos and enjoying the lagoon view in the evening.
The mosque opened to tourists in 1958 and is named after Omar Ali Saifuddien III (1914–1986), the 28th Sultan of Brunei and the father of the current monarch Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Photo courtesy of Brunei Tourism
Built in 1954, it took four years of construction, using 1,500 tons of concrete and 700 tons of steel.
Its design was heavily influenced by Mughal architecture.
Photo by Wiki/Bernard Spragg
The mosque sits on a two-hectare site and almost surrounded by a man-made lagoon.
In the middle of the lagoon sits an artificial barge called Mahligai (royal barge) in which the design is meant to resemble a ship of Sultan Bolkiah, a Sultan of Brunei who reigned in the 16th century.
Photo by Wiki/Jorge Láscar
The mosque can accommodate 3,000 worshippers.
The biggest highlight of the mosque is that its dome is covered with gold that can be seen from anywhere in the capital.
Stepping inside the mosque, visitors will be surprised to see the floors and columns were built of marble from Italy and Shanghai granite.
The crystal chandeliers are imported from the U.K. and the carpets are all meticulously handwoven from Saudi Arabia, according to Australian travel guide site Lonely Planet.
Photo by Wiki/Jorge Láscar
The mosque is open from Saturday to Wednesday with certain periods of time, from 8.30 a.m. to noon, 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
It is closed on Thursdays and Fridays.
Brunei is home to a population of over 400,000 and two thirds of its population are Muslims.
Photo by Wiki/Jorge Láscar
Visitors should remind to leave their shoes outside and avoid walking in front of people who are praying or touching the Quran, the central religious text of Islam.
Robes will be offered for visitors to wear whilst inside the mosque and visitors are also forbidden to take photographs of people in prayer and flash photography.
Women must cover their heads with a scarf in order not to expose their knees and arms. The church has an area where women are not allowed to enter.
Photo by Wiki/Jorge Láscar
The mosque is lit up at night.
The 10-day wedding of Prince Mateen and his girlfriend Anisha RosnahIsa-Kalebic began on Sunday.
They were showered with blessings from their families during the Berbedak Mandi, or powdering ceremony before the duo arrived at the mosque to exchange vows on Thursday.
Prince Mateen, 32, is Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's 10th child and is sixth in line to the throne. A helicopter pilot and a major in the Royal Brunei Air Force, he has also played polo for his country in the 2017 and 2019 SEA Games.
Hong Kong's Tatler Magazine listed him among Asia's top 50 most eligible bachelors in 2016.
Anisha Rosnah binti Adam is the granddaughter of the Sultan's special advisor.
She graduated from a prominent university in England, runs a fashion label, and co-owns a tourism business with a friend.
Photo by Wiki/Sam Garza
