City
Bandar Seri Begawan: Kota Batu, the Maritime Museum and the lagoon mosque
Excavations at Kota Batu revealed a square stone structure with 26 pillar bases; a nearby Maritime Museum gallery covers the Brunei Shipwreck, discovered in 1997. In the city centre, Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque stands by a lagoon with a replica modelled on a 16th-century royal barge.
At a glance
A place worth remembering
Kota Batu 1: a square structure and 26 pillar bases
At Kota Batu 1, a stone structure measures 25.8 by 25.4 m. The Museums Department identifies 26 round stones inside as pillar bases; their positions lead it to infer a three-tier roof and a south-side entrance. The department believes the wider Kota Batu settlement was an important trading and settlement centre in Brunei between the 14th and 17th centuries. The archaeological park is on Jalan Sultan Bolkiah, about 5 km from the city centre.[1][2]
The Maritime Museum: the Brunei Shipwreck and its collection
The museum’s front has a ship-like design. One online exhibit singles out an Iron Spotted Ware pouring vessel shaped like a double gourd; the Museums Department says it is the only example of that ware recorded in the Brunei Shipwreck cargo. The museum connects the wreck, found in 1997, to trade from the late 15th to early 16th century. A Pelita Brunei article prepared with the department dates the museum’s opening to 23 March 2015.[2][7][8][3]
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque: a lagoon, a barge replica and the dates
According to Brunei Tourism, the mosque pairs a gold-coloured dome with stained-glass details; its columns are Italian marble. A lagoon beside the building holds a replica royal barge modelled on a 16th-century vessel, and Brunei Tourism gives the mosque’s address as Jalan McArthur. The Ministry of Religious Affairs records construction beginning on 4 February 1954 and an official opening on 26 September 1958.[4][5]
Good to know
A few clear answers before you explore.
What did the 1986–1997 digs at Kota Batu uncover?
The excavations uncovered the 25.8 by 25.4 m square stone structure with 26 pillar bases. The Museums Department interprets their arrangement as supports for a three-tier roof and places the entrance on the south side.[1]
What does the Maritime Museum’s online exhibit highlight?
It describes an Iron Spotted Ware pouring vessel shaped like a double gourd, the sole example of this ware found in the wreck’s cargo, as well as a jumpong boat hollowed from a log.[3]
When was the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque built?
The Ministry of Religious Affairs says construction began on 4 February 1954 and the mosque was officially opened on 26 September 1958.[4]
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