• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • ISLAMIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

OMAR ALI SAIFUDDIN MOSQUE (MASJID OMAR ALI SAIFUDDIN)

April 16, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

The Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddin is one of the great mosques of the 20th century.  Built by the oil-rich sultanate of Brunei, it is one of the most popular and visited mosques in the Islamic Far East.  It has also been acclaimed by many to be one of the most beautiful mosques in the world, a claim that is not without merit.  A modern-day structure, the Masjid Omar Ali Saiffudin rejected all of the architectural conventions that generally made almost every 20th century religious structure, Islamic or otherwise, so unattractive.  Its towering white marble walls and gold sheathed dome dominate the skyline of Bandar Seri Begawan, one of the most modern of Islamic cities.  Because of its proximity to Malaysia and Indonesia, the Muslim behomeths in the Far East, the Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddin attracts more pilgrims and visitors than any other mosque east of India.

History

Islam spread to the Island of Borneo in the late 14th century from the nascent Muslim kingdoms of nearby Malaysia.  The first sultanate was established near the northern coast of the island at this time.  Brunei, as it later became known, would come to mark the unofficial southeastern-most point of the civilized Islamic world for many years to come.  By the 1400s, the Sultan of Brunei ruled over an Empire that incorporated all of Borneo as well as parts of the Philipines and Indonesia.

Brunei largely enjoyed a quiet existence in this distant corner of the globe.  However, in the mid-16th century, Spanish Conquistadors arrived in the area from their bases in the Americas.  A series of wars ensued betweent the Spanish and Brunei.  While the Sultan managed to defend Borneo from European encroachments, Spain was successful in seizing the Philippines as a colony.  Brunei continued to maintain its independence until the early 1800s, when large portions of Borneo were seized by the Dutch and English.

Throughout the colonial period Borneo was fought over by a variety of European and Asian powers.  Strife continued even after World War II, as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philipines and New Guinea each sought to dominate the region in the wake of the departing colonial powers.  By the 1960s Borneo had been divided up, and though Brunei was decimated, it continued to survive as a tiny independent state on the north coast.  Although it had been a British Protectorate during parts of the 19th and 20th centuries, the tiny core of Brunei managed to survive the colonial era as one of the very few places in Asia to remain more-or-less culturally independent of the Europeans.

The current Sultan of Brunei is part of a dynasty that can be traced back to the 15th century, making it one of the world’s oldest continual royal dynasties extant.  It is also considered to be the world’s most stable Islamic government.  When Brunei became a major oil producer in the 1950s and 1960s, the country’s economy soared.  Vast sums were spent on public works, and the country became one of the most prosperous in the Muslim world.  In dedication to Islam and as a symbol of the country, Sultan Omar Ali Saiffudin personally financed the construction of the great mosque which would later bear his name.  It has gone on to be much more than a symbol of Brunei, however, and is now one of the world’s most famous icons of Muslim religious architecture.

Visiting

The Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddin is spectacular.  The facades are dominated by brilliant white marble brickwork, minimally adorned by tile mosaics or scrollwork writing that covers almost all other major Islamic shrines.  A single towering minaret soars from the heart of the mosque, while a full half-dozen smaller minarets adorn the sides and corners.  The chief and most magnificent feature is the massive gold dome which reaches to a height of seventeen stories.  The dome is coated in a thick layer of gold that is rumored to be the most gold ever used in a single exterior architectural imbellishment.

The mosque offers fantastic views, both of itself and of the surrounding city.  An elevator, largely unheard of mosques elsewhere, whisks visitors to the top of the main minaret for an enticing view of the city.  The view of the mosque and its reflection in the river is second perhaps only to that of the Taj Mahal and its magnificent reflecting pools.  It is flanked by stone quays that line the riverbank, upon which stand exotic palm trees and other flora.  A causeway extends out from the mosque over the water to a dock where the Sultan’s ceremonial ship is usually moored.  Massive fountains complete the setting.

The Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddin juts out on a small plat of land in the Brunei River, just outside of Bandar Seri Begawan on the northern coast of the island of Borneo.  The mosque is open to Muslims and non-Muslims, though there may be restrictions for the latter.  There is no cost of admission.  Web: www.bruneitourism.travel (official tourism website of Brunei)

Other Sites

After the Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, most of the sites of Bandar Seri Begawan pale by comparison.  However, there is also the Royal Ceremonial Hall of Lapau, which serves a political-religious function as the location where sultans are periodically crowned.

Filed Under: Muslim Tagged With: Southeast Asia

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2023 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.