Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque

Completed in 1994 to mark the twenty-fifth year of the current sultan's reign, the Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah is Brunei's largest mosque and carries twenty-nine gold-leafed domes - one for each sultan in the dynasty's line to that point. It stands in landscaped grounds with fountains and formal gardens, four minarets at the corners, and an interior of marble, stained glass and chandeliers. Locals call it the Kiarong mosque. Along with the older Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque in the city centre, it defines the skyline of a country where Islam is woven through public life.

History

In the early 1990s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah invited the English designer John Lawson to design the glass dome of a new mosque to honour his Silver Jubilee; first called the Kiarong Mosque, it was later renamed after him as Brunei's 29th sultan. Built on an 8.1-hectare site from 1988, a gift of the Sultan, it opened on 14 July 1994, his 48th birthday, as the largest mosque in the country (Wikipedia, Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque).

What to look for

• The twenty-nine domes - gold leaf across the roofline.
• The gardens and fountains - the formal grounds around the mosque.
• The interior - marble, stained glass and chandeliers, when open to visitors.
• Evening floodlighting - the mosque lit after dark.

When to go

Year round in Brunei's steady equatorial climate. Non-Muslim visitors may enter only during set visiting hours outside the five daily prayers, and not on Fridays around midday. Ramadan changes the schedule substantially.

What to expect

Access for non-Muslims is limited to specific windows and can be closed without notice - checking with the tourism office or your hotel saves a wasted trip. Robes are provided and required, covering arms and legs; women cover their hair. Shoes come off. Photography of the interior may be restricted. Brunei is dry - no alcohol is sold anywhere in the country.

Nearby

Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque, Kampong Ayer and the Royal Regalia museum.

Key facts