Ironies of pomp. Brunei is a country of modest dimensionswith a smaller extension than that of Palestine or Cyprus that place it in the TOP 35 one of the smallest nations on the globe, but that does not prevent it from hosting the most sumptuous palace in existence. At least if we look at its size. Since the mid-1980s it has housed a huge mansion, the Istana Nurul Imanwhich makes pale Buckingham, versailles either the zarzuela and is recognized even by Guinness World Records as the largest existing residential palace.
Its dimensions certainly take away the hiccups.
The Istana Nurul Iman covers no less than 200,000 m2, an area that far exceeds the 77,000 m2 Buckingham Palace or 67,000 of Versailles. It is not the only fact that gives an idea of his excessiveness. Inside are distributed 1,788 rooms257 bathrooms, a gigantic hall to celebrate banquets for up to 5,000 diners and a large mosque for a thousand and a half faithful.
Impressed? Well, the list goes on and on.
Luxury XXXXL format
Beyond its rooms, lounges, bathrooms, gardens and immense corridors, luxury extends through the Istana Nurul Iman until it reaches the very underground garages, with capacity for 110 vehicles. For ordinary mortals it would be a huge space. This is not the case of the mansion’s tenant, whose love for excesses has led him to acquire a collection that includes 600 Rolls-Royce, 574 Mercedes-Benz, 452 Ferrari, 382 Bentley and 179 Jaguar.
If you still wanted to dedicate your time to another hobby, beyond automobiles, you would not have any problems either. Istana Nurul Iman has a heated barn designed to accommodate 200 horses. In case you are one of their guests and you don’t feel like riding or being taken around in a luxurious Ferrari or a Rolls-Royce through the streets of the capital of Brunei, you won’t have a problem either. It has a heliport.
The palace not only stands out in dimensions. Luxury goes beyond its huge plant and can be seen in small and expensive details: When designing it, its architects used granite from Shanghai, English glass, Chinese silk, 38 different types of marble and even gold door handles.
Everything to give shape to a peculiar XXL format construction that match the style Islamic and Malay and in which he participated, among others, Khuan Chewwho left his mark on the emblematic Burj Al Arab from Dubai. The palace has its own art collection, which includes a Renoir bought for 70 million.
Palace courtyard.
The million dollar question at this point is… Who owns it? Who enjoys its luxuries? To great palaces, great fortunes and powers. Its resident is the 29th Sultan of Brunei, hassanal bolkiahin power for decades and who in 2008 Forbes esteemed him a patrimony of 20 million dollars, a generous fortune amassed thanks to the oil and gas reserves of the country.
His lavish palace ended in 1984 —the same year that Brunei achieved its independence as a British protectorate— after an estimated investment of about $1.4 billion. Since then it stands on the shores of the brunei riverseveral kilometers south of the Asian nation’s capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.
Although the building is the residence of the sultan, it also serves as the seat of the government of Brunei. In 2021 Istana Nurul Iman was in fact the place that Hassanal Bolkiah chose to celebrate his 75th birthday. Despite the pandemic, then still at a critical moment, it hosted a reception to 3,000 people.
If you want to see the lavish palace in person, yes, you should plan your trip in advance. As details lonely planet guidethe palace is only open to the public during the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri festivities, at the end of Ramadan.
Throughout three days the sultan allows a tour that, at least due to the numbers of influx, seems quite demanding. In 2018, more than 110,800 visitors. Only on the first day of the 2019 festival did they parade through their facilities near 35,000 people.
If you don’t manage to figure among that select club of lucky people, you can always get on a boat and enjoy its impressive views from the river.
After all, it may not be the oldest palace in the world, nor the most picturesque or the one with the greatest tradition; but yes it is Guinness worthy.
Images: Istana Nurul Iman and Wikipedia
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