Muara, Brunei (May 21)

Brunei, formally Brunei Darussalam, is a tiny oil rich Islamic sultanate (population less than 500,000) on the island of Borneo divided into two parts each surrounded by Malaysia and the South China Sea. Its Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, is one of the richest men in the world with a net worth of over $30 billion; he owns over 17,000 cars, including 500 Rolls Royces, and lives in a $1.5 billion palace with 1,800 rooms. The poor live in “water villages”, structures built on stilts in the Brunei river.

We didn’t see him ….but we took a short taxi ride from the port of Muara into the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan to be greeted by modern buildings, beautiful mosques, and lush landscapes. Bill wore shorts, so he had to cover up with a jubba, or ankle-length black robe in order to enter a mosque. Brunei is governed by Sharia law, so don’t mess around!

Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosque





Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque



Water villages



Royal Palace entrance gate



Other buildings










Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 21, 2023 at 9:04 AM

    So, does this mosque make the "top 5 (or 10)" list? It looks beautiful, inside and out.

    ReplyDelete
  2. EJMay 22, 2023 at 6:34 PM

    from eric: Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosque..... CHECK!! read up on the sultan a bit - seems like a great guy. not. anyway - cool pix!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Claire and CaroleMay 25, 2023 at 7:57 AM

    Getting all caught up on your travels. Man, are you guys seeing it all. But indeed, don't mess around in Sharia World!

    ReplyDelete

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