Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque | |
---|---|
Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
Ownership | Government of Brunei |
Location | |
Location | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei |
Country | Brunei Darussalam |
Geographic coordinates | 4.889694, 114.939453. 4°53′22″N114°56′21″E / 4.8894°N 114.9392°E |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III Rudolfo Nolli Booty Edwards & Partners |
Type | mosque |
Style | Islamic architecture |
Date established | 26 September 1958 |
Groundbreaking | 4 February 1954 |
Construction cost | £1 million |
Specifications | |
Capacity | 3,000 |
Length | 225 feet (69 m) |
Width | 86 feet (26 m) |
Minaret(s) | 1 |
Minaret height | 52 metres (171 ft) |
Site area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
Materials |
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[1] [2] [3] |
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque (Malay : Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien, Jawi: مسجد عمر علي سيف الدين) is a mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. It is one of the country's two masjid negara or national mosques (the other Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque), as well as a national landmark. It is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the country and is named after Omar Ali Saifuddien III (1914–1986), the 28th Sultan of Brunei and the father of the current monarch Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The mosque serves as a symbol of the Islamic faith in Brunei.
The mosque took almost five years to build and cost more than £1 million at that time. [1]
The architectural firm involved in the construction was the Malaysia-based Booty Edwards & Partners, whereas the consulting firm was the Singapore-based Steen, Sehested and Partners. [3]
The construction work began on 4 February 1954. [2] The construction uses 1,500 tons of concrete and 700 tons of steel. [3] The lengths of the foundation piles are between 80–120 feet (24–37 m). [3]
The mosque was inaugurated on 26 September 1958 in conjunction with the 42nd birthday celebration of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III. [3] [1] Tan Sri Hassan Azhari sang the call to prayer at the mosque's opening. [4]
The mosque is influenced by Mughal architecture. [2] It was accounted that the design was first conceptualised by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III and then developed by the commissioned architect Rudolfo Nolli, an Italian sculptor and decorative stonework contractor. [2]
The size of the mosque is about 225 by 86 feet (69 by 26 m) and can accommodate 3,000 worshippers. [2] It has a maximum height of 52 metres (171 ft). [2] The dome is covered with gold. The floors and columns were built of marble from Italy at a cost of S$200,000. [3] The interior houses a chandelier of 15 feet (4.6 m) in diameter and weighing more than three tonnes; it holds 62 fluorescent tubes. The interior is also lighted by an addition of more than 480 tubes. [3] The floors were covered with Axminster carpets, handmade from Belgium and Saudi Arabia. [3] [2]
The mosque sits on a 5-acre (2.0 ha) site and almost surrounded by a man-made lagoon. In the middle of the lagoon sits an artificial barge called Mahligai in which the design is meant to resemble a ship of Sultan Bolkiah, a Sultan of Brunei who reigned in the 16th century. [2] It was inaugurated on 19 December 1967 in conjunction with the 1,400th anniversary of Nuzul Al-Quran, [5] a holiday in the Islamic calendar which commemorates the revelation of the first verses of the Qur'an. Built at a cost of B$500,000 at that time, the barge was intended to be a permanent venue for various national Islamic religious events. [5]
Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital and largest city of Brunei. It is officially a municipal area with an area of 100.36 square kilometres (38.75 sq mi) and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It is part of Brunei-Muara District, the smallest yet most populous district which is home to over 70 per cent of the country's population. It is the country's largest urban centre and nominally the country's only city. The capital is home to Brunei's seat of government, as well as a commercial and cultural centre. It was formerly known as Brunei Town until it was renamed in 1970 in honour of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei and the father of the current Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Mohamed Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III is a member of the royal family of Brunei. He is the second son of Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei, and Raja Isteri (Queen) Pengiran Anak Damit. He is the Head of the Brunei’s Viziers. After Brunei’s independence in 1984, he became the country’s first foreign minister, serving from 1 January 1984 until 22 October 2015. He served in the cabinet as the Minister of the Brunei's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade alongside the second Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Lim Jock Seng.
Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien was the 28th Sultan of Brunei, reigning from 1950 until his abdication from the throne in 1967.
Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni Hassanal Bolkiah is the eldest son of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his wife Queen Saleha. He is the Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam and is first in the line of succession to the Bruneian throne.
Tutong is a municipality town in Mukim Pekan Tutong Tutong District, Brunei. It is located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) from the country's capital Bandar Seri Begawan. It is the administrative centre of Tutong District.
Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It is currently used mostly for association football matches. The stadium holds 28,000 and was opened on 23 September 1983. It was named after Bruneian Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
Islam is Brunei's official religion, 82.70 percent of the population is Muslim, mostly Sunnis of Malay origin who follow the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence. Most of the other Muslim groups are Malay Kedayans, local Chinese and Dayak Iban converts. Islam was introduced to Brunei by traders arriving from Persia, Arabia, China and the Indian subcontinent. Therefore, other religions can be practiced freely.
The Lapau, also known as the Royal Ceremonial Hall, is a ceremonial hall in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It is where the royal ceremonies, state investiture and some state events are traditionally held. It was the place where the present Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, was crowned in 1968.
Pusat Bandar is the city centre of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. It is home to a number of national landmarks, important government offices, and commercial and financial establishments.
Ismail bin Omar Abdul Aziz was a Malaysian nobleman and politician who became the first State Mufti of Brunei under the Ministry of Religious Affairs office, later State Mufti Office. He was a well-respected Malaysian expatriate ulema whom have contributed greatly to Islam and the people, notably for the State of Johor and Brunei.
Pengiran Anak Mohamed Alam OBE was a nobleman and politician whom became the fourth Speaker of the Brunei Legislative Council, serving from 14 July 1971 until 30 November 1974. He was the father of Pengiran Anak Saleha, the queen consort of Hassanal Bolkiah, the current Sultan of Brunei. He was also the uncle and father-in-law of the Sultan. He was also a maternal grandfather of Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince.
Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College, abbreviated as SOASC, is a government boys' secondary school in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. It is the first secondary school in the country. The school is also one of the only three boys' secondary schools nationwide, with the other two being Muda Hashim Secondary School and Ma'had Islam Brunei. The school provides five years of secondary education leading up to GCE 'O' Level and IGCSE qualification.
Kampong Kiarong or commonly known as Kiarong, is a village in Brunei-Muara District, Brunei, as well as a neighbourhood in the country's capital Bandar Seri Begawan. It has an area of 383.43 hectares ; the population was 4,530 in 2016.
Batu Satu, also known as Kampong Parit, is an area in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. It is also a designated village in Brunei-Muara District, within Mukim Kianggeh. The population was 1,509 in 2016. It encompasses a commercial area of the capital. It is also home to the country's Supreme Court, as well as some of important Islamic religious educational institutions of the country.
The Most Honourable Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei, also translated as The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Brunei, is an order of Brunei. It was established on 1 March 1954 by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III.
Kampong Bolkiah is a village and housing estate in Kampong Ayer, the traditional riverine settlement in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. The total population was 2,143 in 2016.
The Istana Darussalam is the former residence of Omar Ali Saifuddien III and birthplace of Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. The palace is located at Jalan Darussalam, Sumbiling Lama, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. The building has become a tourist attraction and currently under the protection of the Antiquities and Treasure Trove Act of the Museums Department.
Sufri Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III is a member of the royal family of Brunei. He is the third son of Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei, and Raja Isteri (Queen) Pengiran Anak Damit. He is also the President of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BDNOC) since 2010.
Pengiran Anak Damit was Queen of Brunei as the wife of the 28th Sultan of Brunei, Omar Ali Saifuddien III.
Pengiran Mohamed Ali bin Pengiran Mohamed Daud, simply known as Pengiran Ali, was a Bruneian nobleman, teacher and politician whom formerly held the position of Deputy Menteri Besar from 1962 to 1965, Legislative, Executive, and Privy Councils. He emphasized the significant impact he played in Brunei's history, notably from the 1950s to 1960s, and was also the first of the "three M's" that the British government dreaded.