- Address: Jalan McArthur, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8711, Brunei Darussalam;
- Opening: 1958
In each country there are special symbolic sights that are secretly recognized as national symbols. In Brunei such a cult structure is the mosque of Omar Ali Saifuddin. She seemed to have left the pages of the famous collection of Arabian fairy tales "1000 and one night". Glittering golden domes, monumental carved columns, paradise gardens and a crystal "mirror" of a clean river, in which a fairy-tale mosque is reflected. It is not at all necessary to be a Muslim to be imbued with the grandeur and spirituality of this unusually beautiful temple.
The history of the construction of the mosque of Omar Ali Saifuddin
The following year, the main Brunei mosque will celebrate its 60th anniversary. Its construction lasted several years, and was completed in 1958. The mosque of Omar Ali Saifuddin forever imprinted in the memory of all Brunei the name of the 28th Sultan of the State and became one of the most outstanding mosques in the entire Asian part of the Pacific region.
The main architect of the project was the Italian Cavalieri Rudolfo Nolli. After a long search for a suitable place, it was decided to slightly modify the nearby landscape, as there was not a plot on the territory of the entire capital that would ideally correspond to the main idea - the location of the mosque near a small pond with smooth gentle banks. Then the sultan ordered to make an artificial lagoon near the coast of the natural river and near her to build a mosque.
There are two bridges on the lagoon. One of them leads to the village, and the second connects the temple with an unusual construction - a huge boat - an exact replica of the main ship of Sultan Bolkia Makhligai, ruling in Brunei in the XV century. They constructed this improvised vessel together with a luxurious marble bridge in 1967. The opening of the new landmark in Bandar Seri Begawan was timed to the 1400th anniversary of the downfall of the Koran to the Prophet Muhammad. Then in the capital hosted a national contest of readers of the main Muslim book - the Koran.
Architecture of the mosque of Omar Ali Saifuddin
Work on the project of the Italian architect could not but leave a mark on the overall building concept of the temple. The confusion of the European sophisticated style and traditional Islamic architecture produced a tremendous effect. Marble minarets and golden pathos domes are permeated with notes of the Renaissance, which gives the mosque a special charm, singling it out against the background of all other Muslim liturgical buildings.
Cozy patios with fertile flowering gardens and beautiful fountains serve as an excellent addition to the overall architectural composition.
The main feature of the mosque of Omar Ali Saifuddin is a 52-meter-high minaret. He towers over the whole city, seeing almost any part of it.
The main dome of the temple is covered with real gold and is decorated with a sparkling mosaic consisting of 3.5 million glass fragments. Thanks to this, an amazing visual effect is achieved. In the rays of the sun the mosque shines with an unusual twinkle, and in the evening all the glory of the top is not extinguished by all this splendor.
If we compare the external architecture and the interior of the temple, the latter loses a little. But do not forget that this is a premise intended for worship and prayer, so there should not be too much shine and glamor here, so as not to distract the parishioners from the main goal - communication with God.
The prayer hall in the mosque of Omar Ali Saifuddin is decorated with mosaic glass, marble columns, beautiful arches and semicircles. It should be noted that the interior uses a lot of materials and decorative items imported from abroad: marble from Rome, Venetian glass, elite granite from Shanghai, painted carpets from Saudi Arabia, crystal luxury chandeliers from the UK.
Information for tourists
- entrance to the prayer hall of the mosque of Omar Ali Saifuddin is open only to Muslims;
- tourists of other faiths can visit the temple (without entering the prayer hall) on any day, except Saturdays and Thursdays;
- on Friday the mosque is open from 16:30 to 17:30;
- from Sunday to Wednesday, the entrance for tourists is open from 8:00 to 17:30 (break from 12:00 to 13:30 and from 15:00 to 16:30);
- on the top of the main minaret is an observation deck, from where you can see from the height of the beautiful city panoramas (climbing up the elevator).
How to get there?
From the capital airport you can reach the mosque of Omar Ali Saifuddin by public transport (bus with transfers), a taxi or renting a car.
Go by car 10-15 minutes, the distance is about 10 km. There are three different routes through the city. The fastest and most convenient of them is through Jalan Perdana Menteri.