Bandar Seri Begawan

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Bandar Seri Begawan, (Malay: Bandar Seri Begawan, Jawi: بندر سري بگاوان ) estimated population 46,229 (1991), is the capital and the royal town of the Sultanate of Brunei. The city is the home of producers of furniture, textiles, handicrafts, and timber. It is the site of the Royal Ceremonial Hall or Lapau, Royal Regalia Building, the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, the Malay Technology Museum, and the Brunei History Center. Bandar Seri Begawan is located at 4°55' North, 114°55' East (4.91667, 114.91667).

The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, built in 1958, features a giant golden dome and a luxurious interior of Italian marble walls, carpeting and an elevator. It also has opulent underground tunnels, which are used by the sultan on private journeys through the town.

This city is also unique in that it also incorporates a nearby water village, Kampung Ayer, which has houses on stilts and stretches out into the sea for about 500 metres. The Malay Technology Museum contains exhibits about water village architecture.

Bandar Seri Begawan was named after the Sultan's late father Sir Omar Ali Safuddin in 1975, its original name being Bandar Brunei (Begawan is a name given to Bruneian monarchs who have abdicated). The first part of its name, Bandar, comes from Persian بندر and means "port" or "haven" (bandar means "town" in Malay).

Prominent schools in Bandar Seri Begawan include St. Andrew's School, International School Brunei (ISB), and Jerudong International School (JIS).

[edit] Trivia

Anthony Burgess's Brunei novel Devil of a State is set in Bandar Seri Begawan. The construction of the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is a major theme in the book.