The call to prayer carries across Sungai Brunei in the early morning, looping over the wooden floating houses of Kampong Ayer and lifting from the gold dome of Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien on the bank above.
Five times a day, the capital pauses for it. Bandar Seri Begawan is built around its mosques, and the mosques are built to last.
Read also: 6 Great Reasons to Visit Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien, Brunei
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Top Mosques in Brunei You Must Visit
Brunei Darussalam is the first East Asian country to have adopted Islamic Sharia law, with around 79 percent of its population identifying as Muslim.
The mosques here merge Mughal, Moroccan, and Malay design traditions, often with a generous use of marble, gold leaf, and turquoise glazing that makes them some of the most photographed religious buildings in Southeast Asia.
This is a guide to the 6 most beautiful mosques in Brunei, all within a short drive of Bandar Seri Begawan, with visiting times and a note on dress code for non-Muslim visitors.
Masjid Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah: Largest Mosque in Brunei
Masjid Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah, locally known as the Kiarong Mosque, is the largest mosque in Brunei.
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It was built between 1988 and 1994 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee (25th anniversary) of the reign of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the 29th Sultan of Brunei, and inaugurated on 14 July 1994 in conjunction with the Sultan’s 48th birthday. The mosque spans 8.1 hectares in Kampong Kiarong and holds up to 5,000 worshippers at a time.
It is finished with 29 golden domes (one for each Sultan in the line) and four soaring minarets at 58 metres tall (each representing one of Brunei’s four districts: Brunei-Muara, Temburong, Belait, and Tutong).
The mosque is open to non-Muslim visitors outside prayer hours, with abaya provided at the entrance. Sunset is the best time to see it, when the floodlights catch the gold of the domes.
- Address: Simpang 127, Kampong Kiarong, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
- Visiting hours (non-Muslims): 8am to 12pm, 2pm to 3pm
Masjid Ash-Shaliheen: Moroccan-Style Mosque
Masjid Ash-Shaliheen is the smaller masterpiece of Bandar Seri Begawan, located beside the Prime Minister’s Office. It was designed by the Egyptian architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, who is widely regarded as one of the foremost contemporary mosque designers in the Islamic world.
The mosque carries soft turquoise domes, brass chandeliers, hand-chiselled mosaic tile, and white Italian marble interiors. Many regard it as the most refined of Brunei’s modern mosques.
- Address: Jalan Perdana Menteri, Bandar Seri Begawan BB3913, Brunei
- Visiting hours (non-Muslims): 8am to 12pm, 2pm to 3pm
Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien: Iconic Landmark in Bandar Seri Begawan
Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien is the most photographed mosque in Brunei and the most prominent landmark in Bandar Seri Begawan. Completed in 1958 and named after Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei, the mosque combines Mughal and Italian Renaissance architecture.
It carries a striking gold dome, a 52-metre marble minaret that remains the tallest building in central BSB, and an artificial lagoon on the Kedayan River that holds a replica of a 16th-century Sultan Bolkiah Mahligai barge (added in 1967). It holds up to 3,000 worshippers.
Inside, the floors are covered in fine Axminster carpets from Saudi Arabia and Belgium, columns of Italian marble line the prayer hall, and chandeliers cascade from a ceiling decorated with Italian mosaic tile. The Italian architect Cavaliere Rudolfo Nolli developed the design, with British firm Booty and Edwards executing construction.
- Address: Jalan McArthur, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8711, Brunei
- Visiting hours (non-Muslims): 8.30am to 12pm, 1.30pm to 3pm, 4.30pm to 5.30pm
- Closed to non-Muslims: During prayer times and on Fridays
Masjid Universiti Brunei Darussalam
The Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) Mosque is a humble, functional mosque on the grounds of Brunei’s main university, built for students and staff.
Completed in 1992, it holds around 1,800 worshippers and features pointed brown wooden roofs, an intricately tiled archway, and a classic, pared-back design that contrasts with the grander state mosques in the city centre. It is worth a stop if you are exploring the UBD campus or staying near the Berakas area.
- Address: Universiti Brunei Darussalam, BE1410, Brunei
- Visiting hours (non-Muslims): 8am to 12pm, 2pm to 3pm
Masjid Pengiran Muda Abdul Mateen
Masjid Pengiran Muda Abdul Mateen is located in the rural district of Limau Manis, several kilometres outside Bandar Seri Begawan.
It marries modern Islamic architecture with classic Malay elements, set within landscaped grounds with two fountains at the entrance and a more residential setting than the city mosques. The mosque was named after Prince Abdul Mateen, one of the younger sons of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
- Address: Jalan Mulaut, Limau Manis, Brunei
- Visiting hours (non-Muslims): 8am to 12pm, 2pm to 3pm
Balai Ibadat Kampong Ayer: Floating Village Mosque
Balai Ibadat Kampong Ayer is the most unusual mosque in Brunei, built above the water in the historic floating settlement of Kampong Ayer.
The “Venice of the East” is the oldest continuously inhabited water village in the world, with a recorded history of over 1,300 years and around 13,000 residents who still live in stilted wooden houses connected by long boardwalks. The mosque is small, painted in soft green, and serves the daily needs of the surrounding community.
A visit pairs naturally with a water-taxi tour of the wider Kampong Ayer, which costs around B$2 to B$5 each way from the Bandar Seri Begawan waterfront.
- Address: Kampong Ayer, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
- Visiting hours (non-Muslims): 8am to 12pm, 2pm to 3pm
- How to get there: Water taxi from BSB waterfront
Can Non-Muslims Visit Mosques in Brunei?
Yes, non-Muslims can visit most mosques in Brunei outside of prayer hours. Visiting times are typically blocked into specific windows during the day, and all mosques are closed to non-Muslim visitors during the five daily prayers and on Fridays (the Muslim day of prayer).
Free abaya is provided at the entrance for both men and women, and you will be expected to remove your shoes before entering the prayer hall.
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What Is the Dress Code for Visiting Mosques in Brunei?
The dress code for visiting mosques in Brunei is conservative for both men and women. Cover shoulders, knees, and elbows at minimum.
Women should also cover their hair with a headscarf. Most major mosques provide complimentary abaya and headscarves at the entrance, so you do not need to bring your own. Shoes must be removed before entering, no photography is permitted during prayer times, and any photographs must be respectful of worshippers.
What Is the Most Beautiful Mosque in Brunei?
The most beautiful mosque in Brunei is widely regarded as Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien, the gold-domed marble mosque on the Bandar Seri Begawan waterfront. Completed in 1958, it is the most photographed and most recognisable mosque in the country, with its lagoon and replica royal barge giving it the most iconic setting.
Masjid Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah is larger and grander, but Omar Ali Saifuddien remains the symbolic heart of Brunei’s Islamic architecture.
Visiting Religious Sites Responsibly in Brunei
Mosques in Brunei are working places of worship, not tourist attractions. Brunei’s full Sharia Penal Code came into effect in 2019, making the etiquette around visiting these sites more important than ever.
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Dress conservatively, speak in a low voice, switch off your phone, and never photograph worshippers without their consent. Buying water taxis and meals from Kampong Ayer residents, or hiring a local guide for a mosque tour, channels tourism income directly into the communities that maintain these places.
The mosques themselves are free to enter, but a small donation to the upkeep box at the exit is appreciated.
This guide is based on visits to Bandar Seri Begawan and verified against current visiting hours through the Brunei Tourism Board.
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