The Vastness Of The Nurul Iman Palace In Brunei
The main attraction of the Nurul Iman Palace, in Brunei, is to know the single-family house, in this case a royal residence, the largest in the world. It is not a very valuable architectural or historical gem, but on the other hand, everything related to its dimensions is really… impressive, to use a fairly mild word.
Nurul Iman Palace, the sultan’s palace
Brunei is a sultanate located in Southeast Asia, north of the island of Borneo. It is a small kingdom in dimensions, with a very long history, whose most outstanding episode in recent decades was achieving independence after spending years as an English protectorate, as has happened with other territories in the area, of which the most famous would be Hong Kong.
When the sultan regained dominion over his kingdom, he not only remained as an independent country, but he is one of the richest people on the entire planet. And of course the maximum expression of his exorbitant fortune is the Nurul Iman Palace.
The Palace of Light and Faith
The name of Istana Nurul Iman comes from the Persian and Malay languages, and its translation is Palace of Light and Faith, although the reality is that it is the official residence of the Sultan, and also the seat of his government. That is, among other functions, foreign dignitaries are received there, who are frankly impacted by the size of this construction.
Precisely, being an official residence, it is not open to tourists. In fact, it is only possible to access its interior during very specific days.
For example, it opens its doors for several days during the Ramadan period. And also during the three days of celebration of another Islamic celebration, such as the Hari Raya Idulfitri. During those days, the truth is that there are tens of thousands of visitors to the palace.
The architect of the Nurul Iman Palace
The work was designed by the Philippine architect Leandro V. Locsin and the pharaonic construction was also carried out by a company from the Philippines, given the proximity of the Philippine archipelago to Brunei.
This architect was inspired by the history of the sultanate and its beliefs, since its shapes are inspired by motifs of both Islamic and Malay influence, and for that you just have to see its golden domes.
Some domes that stand out even more given the location of the Nurul Iman Palace, which rises on a wooded hill, high and dominating from the heights the city of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, located a few kilometers away.
The size of the Nurul Iman Palace
Now we are going to give some of the data that is impressive about this construction. To begin with, you have to know that inside there are 1,788 different rooms, including a hall where you can hold banquets that can be attended by up to 5,000 people.
Even inside the palace there is a mosque with a capacity of 1,500 believers.
In total, the entire area of the enclosure is about 200,000 square meters and includes the central buildings as well as other annexes where, for example, the more than 100 luxury vehicles that make up the Sultan’s collection are kept, the largest, most expensive and appreciated. of the world.
Another own collection that defines the idea of Asian luxury is the presence of a stable with capacity for two hundred horses, which enjoy comforts such as air conditioning. Something very important in a climate like Southeast Asia, and which undoubtedly makes life much easier for the Sultan’s stud farm specialized in the game of polo.
Many other data could be given such as that there are more than 250 toilets, five swimming pools, 18 elevators or that about 50,000 light bulbs are needed for all the palace lamps. These and many other figures make the Nurul Iman Palace in Brunei the largest palace in the world.
