Brunei

Brunei's iconic state mosque, built between 1954 and 1958 in the heart of Bandar Seri Begawan and named after the 28th Sultan of Brunei. Its main dome is covered in a mosaic of roughly 3.5 million glass pieces laid over real gold leaf, paired with a 52-metre minaret, Italian marble, and English chandeliers and stained glass. The mosque reflects in an artificial lagoon containing a stone replica of a 16th-century royal mahligai barge.

Bandar Seri Begawan, quận Brunei-Muara

Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

The largest and most magnificent congregational mosque in Brunei Darussalam set within 20 acres of landscaped gardens at Kampong Kiarong in Bandar Seri Begawan, constructed between 1988 and 1994 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of the 29th Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and renowned for its 29 domes gilded in 24-karat gold, four 58-meter minarets, and capacity for 5,000 worshippers.

Largest National Mosque (Masjid Negara) of Brunei Darussalam and Royal Waqf Endowment of the 29th Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin WaddaulahJalan Hassanil Bolkiah, Kampong Kiarong, Mukim Gadong B, Bandar Seri Begawan BE1318, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei Darussalam

Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The oldest Chinese temple in Bandar Seri Begawan and the principal spiritual center of Brunei's ethnic Chinese community, tracing its roots to a 1918 riverside shrine founded by Hokkien migrants from Kinmen (Quemoy) Island in Fujian and rebuilt on its present site along Jalan Sungai Kianggeh in 1960 in classic southern Fujianese architectural style to venerate Guangze Zunwang (Lord of Broad Compassion) alongside Taoist and Buddhist deities.

Oldest Historic Chinese Taoist and Buddhist Sanctuary in Bandar Seri Begawan and Principal Cultural Heritage Landmark of the Bruneian Chinese CommunityJalan Sungai Kianggeh, opposite Kianggeh Market, Central Bandar Seri Begawan BS8111, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei Darussalam

Photo: Chin Yu Chu, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Roman Catholic Pro-Cathedral of the Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei Darussalam and the largest Catholic church in the sultanate, established in central Bandar Seri Begawan from a 1937 Mill Hill Missionary school and chapel, consecrated in its present form on the Solemnity of the Assumption on August 15, 1969, and forever linked with the pastoral ministry of Brunei's first Cardinal, Cornelius Sim (1951 to 2021).

Pro-Cathedral of the Apostolic Vicariate of Brunei Darussalam and Mother Church of the Roman Catholic Community in the Sultanate of BruneiJalan Kumbang Pasang, adjacent to St. George's School, Central Bandar Seri Begawan BS8411, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei Darussalam

Photo: DeltaSquad833, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Located adjacent to the Prime Minister's Office Complex along Jalan Perdana Menteri in Bandar Seri Begawan, Ash-Shaliheen Mosque (inaugurated in June 2012) is the only mosque in the Sultanate of Brunei built in the classical Moroccan and Andalusian North African Islamic architectural style. Designed by the world-renowned Egyptian traditionalist architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, the sanctuary features a striking turquoise-glazed ribbed dome, a square Maghrebi minaret, intricate Moroccan zellij mosaic tilework, hand-carved gypsum muqarnas vaulting, and a courtyard equipped with motorized retractable shading umbrellas serving up to 1,000 worshippers.

Unique Moroccan and Andalusian North African Mosque in the Sultanate of Brunei DarussalamJalan Perdana Menteri, Prime Minister's Office Complex, Kampong Melabau, Bandar Seri Begawan BB3913, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei Darussalam

Photo: AfiqahAA, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons