Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, Bandar Seri Begawan

You cannot miss the Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque in the centre of Brunei's capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. It is a beautiful white building with a wonderful golden real goldleaf dome. I think this is the nicest mosque I have seen. I was told that the architect was British - I'm not sure if this is true, but maybe he somehow made it more visually accessible to a British eye.

It was built in 1958, and named after the present Sultan's father. It is reported to have cost US$5 million at that time. It's set in grounds with an artificial lagoon complete with concrete boat. You cannot go on this but you can walk round the grounds.

It is acceptible for visitors to go inside at certain times - visiting is closed or limited on Thursdays and Fridays and you'd need to check out other times - you can't go in during prayer times. All this is if you are non-Muslim. Muslims can go in at any time. The interior is one big airy space with a lot of marble and carpets for prayers. You need to take off your shoes before you go in, and women should be well covered up.

I have read that you can go up to the top of a minaret and get a good view over the city and Kampong Ayer, the water village, but we didn't do this. It would be worth doing, tho.

The Mosque holds a central place of respect in the capital. For example, when a bank tried to build a nearby building higher than the mosque, it got into trouble and had to curtail its plans!