List of museums and historical places in Brunei Darussalam

Brunei  Museum

• Brunei Museum (Muzium Brunei) - Located on an archeological site at Kota Batu about 5 km (3.1 mi) from Bandar Seri Begawan, this museum is the largest in the country. It was first established in 1965 and occupied its present site since 1970. Officially opened in 1972, the museum focuses on Islamic history, natural history, Brunei artifacts and customs, ceramics and the oil industry of Brunei. The museum is reachable by public transport (Bus No. 39). Its exhibition galleries consist of the following:

Islamic Art Gallery: The gallery displays a magnificent collection of Islamic art belonging to the sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah and is the main highlight. The collection comprises a wide range of objects covering the artistic production of various Islamic regions from the transitional and early Islamic periods to the 19th century.

The History and Technology of Brunei Darussalam's Petroleum Gallery: The state's main industry is presented in this gallery, covering descriptive narratives on the origin and formation of oil, process of drilling, refining, the history of the petroleum industry in Brunei and a map depicting current oil fields.

Brunei Traditional Culture Gallery: Brunei's material culture is presented in this gallery. The objects displayed in the gallery shows the customs and the culture of the people from the birth till marriage. There is also a fine collection of brassware, and especially canons for which the country is traditionally renowned.

Natural History Gallery: The gallery exhibits a wide range of natural history subjects and especially the fauna of Brunei. Some of the exhibits are presented in the form of diorama techniques to form a realistic form of their natural habitat.

Brunei Darussalam Archeology and History Exhibition Gallery: It exhibits the history of the country beginning from the prehistoric period up to independence in 1984.

Malay Technology Museum,Kota Batu,Brunei

• Malay Technology Museum - The museum was officially opened in 1988.

The Malay Technology Museum (Muzium Teknologi Melayu) is located at Kota Batu, in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. It is situated next to the Brunei Museum. The building was donated by the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of companies, in conjunction with the Sultanate's independence in 1984. The museum was officially opened by His Majesty the Sultan on 29 February 1988. Featuring how things were done in ancient times, there are displays in boatmaking, fishing, metalworking and goldsmithing.

The museum has 3 exhibition halls:

• Water Village Traditional House Gallery: This gallery shows architectural structure of houses in the water village - Kampong Ayer in the late 19th up to the mid 20th century.
• Water Village Traditional Technology Gallery: This gallery depicts various types of handicrafts and cottage industries found in the water village. The display includes boat construction, roof-making, gold smiting, silver smiting, brass casting and cloth weaving.
• Inland Traditional Technology Gallery: This gallery contains exhibits of indigenous technologies of the in land people. It shows models of Kedayan, Dusun and Murut houses and a Punan hut. Techniques of production of Sago, brown sugar and handicrafts are also displayed.

Brunei's Royal Regalia Building ,Bandar Seri Begawan

Front exhibition at Royal Regalia Brunei

• The Royal Regalia Building - Located at Jalan Sultan, this museum is devoted to the sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The main gallery displays the coronation and Silver Jubilee Chariots, gold and silver ceremonial armory and traditional jewellery encrusted coronation crowns. A collection of documents that chronicles the sultan's life up to the coronation together with the constitutional history gallery is also housed in the same building.

• The Brunei History Center - Located at Jalan Sultan next to the Royal Regalia building is the Brunei history center. The center was opened in 1982 with a brief to research the history of Brunei. Much of that work has been establishing the genealogy and history of the sultans and royal family. The public display has a wealth of information on these subjects including replicas and brass rubbings of tombs. A flow chart giving the entire lineage of the Brunei sultans can be found at the entrance.

• Brunei Stamp Gallery - The recently opened Brunei Stamp Gallery is located inside the post office building in Jalan Sultan.

Bubongan Duabelas,Brunei (source:history-centre.gov.bn)

• Bubongan Duabelas - The name which translates to the House of Twelve Roofs is located in Jalan Residency. It was built in 1906 and was formerly the official residence of British residents and high commissioners in Brunei. It is one of the oldest surviving building in Bandar Seri Begawan. It now serves as a gallery that exhibits the long standing relationship between the sultanate and the United Kingdom.

The Arts and Handicrafts Center,Brunei (source:wikimapia)

• The Arts and Handicrafts Center - Located at Jalan Residency it was opened in 1980. Brunei's fine arts and crafts date back to centuries and are part of the nation's proud heritage. The Arts and Handicrafts Center conducts courses in silverware, brassware, woodcarving, songkok-making, weaving and basketry.

source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandar_Seri_Begawan

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque/Masjid Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin,Bandar Seri Begawan
 (at night)

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque is a royal Islamic mosque located in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of the Sultanate of Brunei. The mosque considered one of the most beautiful mosques in the Asia Pacific and a major landmark and tourist attraction of Brunei.

Named after Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei, the mosque as a symbol of the Islamic faith in Brunei dominates the skyline of Bandar Seri Begawan. The building was completed in 1958 and is an example of modern Islamic architecture.

Details about the mosque

• The mosque unites Mughal architecture and Italian styles. The plans were done by Booty and Edwards Chartered Architects according to designs by the Italian architect Cavaliere Rudolfo Nolli, who had already for decades been working at the gulf of Siam.

• The mosque is built in an artificial lagoon on the banks of the Brunei River at Kampong Ayer, the "village in the water".
•  It has marble minarets and golden domes with courtyards and lush gardens full of fountains. 
• The mosque is surrounded by a large number of trees and floral gardens which in Islam symbolizes heaven.
•  A bridge reaches across the lagoon to Kampong Ayer in the middle of the river. Another marble bridge leads to a structure in the lagoon meant as a replica of a 16th Century Sultan Bolkiah mahligai barge.
•  It was built to commemorate the 1,400th anniversary of Nuzul Al-Quran (coming down of the Quran), completed in 1967 and used to stage Quran reading competitions.
•  The mosque's most recognizable feature, the main dome, is covered in pure gold. 
• The mosque stands 52 m (171 ft) high and can be seen from virtually anywhere in Bandar Seri Begawan. The main minaret is the mosque's tallest feature.
•  In a unique way it mixes Renaissance and Italian architectural style. The minaret has an elevator to the top, where one can enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
• The interior of the mosque is for prayer only. It has magnificent stained glass windows, arches, semi-domes and marble columns.
•  Nearly all the material used for the building has been imported from abroad: the marble from Italy, the granite from Shanghai, the crystal chandeliers from England and the carpets from Saudi Arabia.

 

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque during the day.

 Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque with the ceremonial barge on the left

The Ceremonial Ship beside the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque

source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Omar_Ali_Saifuddin_Mosque