Istana Nurul Iman — Attraction in Tumasek

The Istana Nurul Iman (Jawi: ايستان نور الإيمان; English: The Light of Faith Palace) is the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, and the seat of the Brunei government. The palace is located on a leafy, riverside sprawl of hills on the banks of the Brunei River, a few kilometres southwest of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's capital city. The palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It is considered to be the world's largest private residence in terms of floor area, earning it the title of "world's largest residential palace". General information Architectural style Brunei's Islamic and Malay Town or city Bandar Seri Begawan Country Brunei Completed 1984 Cost US$ 1.5 Billion (BN$ 5 Billion) Technical details Structural system Malay and Islam Floor count Approximate 17 include underground floors Floor area 2,152,782 square feet (200,000 m2) Design and construction Architect Leandro V. Locsin (overall) and Khuan Chew (interior) The name "Istana Nurul Iman" is taken from Malay Istana and Arabic Nur-ol Imaan and means Palace of the Light of Faith. It was designed by Filipino Visayan architect Leandro V. Locsin, who utilized the architectural motif of golden domes and vaulted roofs to echo Brunei's Islamic and Malay influences. The interior of the palace was designed by Khuan Chew, Design Principal of KCA International, whose other works include the Burj Al Arab in Dubai. Construction was handled by Ayala Abbott and Butters, a UK construction firm, and completed in 1984 at a total cost of around US$1.4 billion. The title of the "world's largest palace" is difficult to ascertain, and controversial, as different countries use their own unique standard to claim that their palace is the largest. Using various definitions, a number of palaces are claimed to be the world’s largest: Istana Nurul Iman, Buckingham Palace, Quirinal Palace, Royal Palace of Madrid, Stockholm Palace, The Forbidden City, The Palace of Versailles, The Royal Palace of Caserta, The Winter Palace, The Louvre Palace, Prague Castle, and Romania’s Palace of the Parliament. To be considered for the Guinness World Record, the palace must have been intended for use as a royal residence, and only the combined area of the palace’s indoor floors (a measurement commonly known as floorspace) is considered. As measured by these standards, Guinness World Records currently considers Istana Nurul Iman to hold the title as the "world's largest residential palace."[2] Upon completion, Istana Nurul Iman became the largest residential palace in the world and the largest single-family residence ever built.[3] The palace contains 1,788 rooms, which includes 257 bathrooms, a banquet hall that can be expanded to accommodate up to 5,000 guests, a mosque accommodating 1,500 people.[4] The palace also includes a 110-car garage, an air conditioned stable for the Sultan's 200 polo ponies, and five swimming pools. In total, Istana Nurul Iman contains 2,152,782 square feet (200,000 m²) of floorspace.[4] Istana Nurul Iman has 564 chandeliers, 51,000 light bulbs, 44 stairwells and 18 elevators. The Sultan takes his official audiences at the palace. The palace is also used for all the state functions of the government of Brunei. In addition, the palace houses the prime minister's office, and serves as the seat of the Brunei government.

In addition to audience and state rooms, there is a throne chamber used for various formal occasions such as the proclamation of the crown prince and the annual birthday investiture.

However, in keeping with its primary use as the Sultan’s personal residence, the palace is the home to Sultan’s 7000 cars in 110 separate garages, which include 365 Ferraris, 275 Lamborghinis, 258 Aston Martins, 172 Bugattis, 230 Porsches, 350 Bentleys, 600 Rolls Royces, 440 Mercedes Benzes, 265 Audis, 237 BMWs, 225 Jaguars and 183 Land Rovers, most of which are custom-made. The palace is not open to the public except on the annual Islamic celebration of Hari Raya Aidilfitri (the festival at the end of the Muslim...

The Astana Noor Al Ayman (Istana Nurul Iman) is the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, and the seat of the Brunei government. The palace is located on a leafy, riverside sprawl of hills on the banks of the Brunei River, a few kilometers southwest of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's capital city. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest palace in the world. This house is painted white, but the golden dome and minaret stand out from afar. The dome is decorated with 22-carat gold. The Sultan's family resides in this house, which was completed in 1984. It was designed by Khuan Chew while it was built by architect Leandro Locsin. According to an estimate, one billion and 40 million dollars were spent on the construction of this palace. Spread over an area of 21 lakh 52 thousand 782 square feet, this palace has 1788 rooms and more than 257 bathrooms. Its banquet hall is so big that more than 5 thousand people can be invited there at a time. Similarly, 110 vehicles can be parked in the garage of the palace while 5 huge swimming pools are also present here. An air-conditioned stable for horses, a huge mosque and 18 lifts are also part of the palace. There are 564 chandeliers inside the palace building and only 3 days (on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr) in a year the common people are allowed inside. It is believed that the price of this palace is 2.55 billion dollars but this is an unconfirmed estimate. Not only is the Sultan of Brunei's palace the largest in the world, but his collection of cars is also staggering. The most Rolls Royce vehicles in the world are owned by the Sultan of Brunei, a Guinness World Records record held in his name in 2011. According to an estimate, the total value of the cars of the Sultan of Brunei is 3 to 4...

His Majesty Sultan of Brunei residence is the biggest residence in the world, called Istana Nurul Iman. It is open to public for 3 days in a year during the celebration of public holiday Hari Raya immediately after the Ramadhan or fasting month for Muslim.

During this 3 days open house event, there will be free flow of buffet for locals or foreign visitors alike. A gift souvenier will be a takeaway for all visitors and a money packet given to children only.

The highlight of the event is the chance to meet and greet the Royal...