Brunei - Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

This is probably the most recognised symbol of Brunei. It's the large mosque in the centre of town with a big golden dome. I'd seen pictures of it many times before. It can be quite cheap to fly from Europe to Australia on Royal Air Brunei. A lot of friends have done this and used the hour or two stop over in Brunei to rush into town for a look. It's pictures of this building that I remember.

It was actually built in 1958 and is named after the current Sultan's father. It's impossible to miss as you walk around town. It's well, big and gold! It's built on the side of the city where the land stops and the Kampung Ayer starts. It sits next to a green circular lagoon, complete with a stone boat! When I was there, the lagoon was a lovely shade of venomous green. Nice for getting some photos with reflections, but I think anything falling into that water would dissolve instantly. I suspect there's some 3 eyed fish lurking about somewhere.


Non muslims are allowed to visit, but only at certain times. I arrived on a Friday, which is the holiest day of the muslim week. It's the day that even the most lax muslims make the effort to go to mosque. I was rather confused that the sign on the gate said the mosque was open to visitors, but closed on Fridays. What the hell, I just wandered in.

It was at this point, that a very rude little man started jumping up and down and pointing at me a lot. Nutter, I thought and kept walking. He then repeatedly hit a sign that said "No visitors today". Ahhh... So maybe the mosque WAS closed on Fridays. Not to worry, I'll just wander around the nice gardens and take some photos. Bad idea. That just made the little man even grumpier. He started jumping up and down and bashing his little sign even harder. Nutter. I thought I'd better leave and come back another time...


Instead, I wandered around the outside of the mosque. It's pretty from just about every angle, so I took a large number of very similar looking photos! What puzzled me though, was the stone boat. It's a recreation of a traditional Brunei vessel, but why in stone? That seemed rather odd to me. I suspect it's easier to build and looks prettier! The dowager Empress of China was known for building stone boats, but she was doing that as a way of embezzling money from the navy. Oh well. Come to Asia. They have stone boats!

I went back the next day and was allowed inside. As with all mosques, you have to leave your shoes outside. Conveniently, it was a stinking hot day and the stone between the shoe wracks and the entrance was freaking hot! I had to sprint across the ground to avoid getting scorched.


Inside, I was made sign my name in the visitors book - yes, it was compulsory, then I was given a long black robe to wear. What the...? I've been to heaps of mosques in the past and no-one has ever asked me to wear a robe before. What they hey, on it went. It was about 40C inside and the cloak was very heavy, so I was swimming in a pool of my own sweat. Lovely.

Inside the mosque is quite pretty. It's very simply decorated in gold, jewels, more gold and more jewels. A bit over the top, but not bad. It's meant to be a display of wealth and opulence, which I think it succeeds in. I think the mosques in Istanbul are MUCH nicer, but that's the nouveau riche for you :-)