Brunei Museum

The museum is the largest in Brunei Darussalam, four kilometres outside Bandar Seri Begawan on a hill at Kota Batu, which itself is an archaeological site of great importance. Lying in 48 hectares of parkland, the museum is a fine example of Islamic architecture with many of the engravings and designs taken from typical Brunei Malay patterns, some of which appear on Sultan Bolkiah's tomb.

The galleries inside comprise an imaginative natural history section and a glittering collection of Islamic art, which includes many rare manuscripts, works of art and artefacts from the Islamic world dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries. Galleries are also devoted to Bruneian artefacts and customs, ceramics, fine art and the oil industry in - a display set up by Brunei Shell Petroleum.

A sixth gallery is reserved for temporary exhibitions and the lower ground floor houses the administrative and technical section of the museum which is not normally open to the public. Some of the larger exhibits are in covered shelters in park land at the back of the museum.

Getting there: Take Jalan Residency out of Bandar Seri Begawan keeping the Brunei river on your right. The name changes to Jalan Kota Batu and after four Kilometres the road rises past the acient tomb of Sultan Bolkiah and Sultan Sharif Ali The Museum is on the right on top of the hill. Public busses (Central and Eastern line 11 and 39), leaving from the central bus station, stop at the museum.

Opens daily from :900h till 1700hr except Tuesday, Friday 900h to 1130h and 1430hr to 1700hr