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Istana
Nurul
Iman
was
included
in
the
Guinness
Book
of
Records
as
the
world's
largest
living
residence
of
a
state
head.
Indeed,
it
is
the
biggest
palace
and
royal
residence
of
the
world.
This
massive
royal
dwelling
is
several
times
larger
than
the
Palace
of
Versailles
and
the
Buckingham
Palace.
The
Palace
is
the
house
of
Brunei’s
sultan
Hassanal
Bolkiah.
The
palace
stands
on
the
banks
of
the
Brunei
River,
several
kilometers
south
of
Brunei’s
capital.
Istana
Nurul
Iman
is
a
massive
white
construction
with
golden
domes
and
minarets.
Breathtaking
views
of
the
palace
open
from
the
nearby
Persiaran
Damuan
Park.
Curved
roofs
of
the
buildings
and
the
huge
golden
dome
of
the
palace
mosque
rise
over
green
trees.
It
is
also
worth
to
enjoy
the
looks
of
this
extravagant
palace
while
taking
a
boat
trip
on
Brunei
River.
The
name
of
Istana
Nurul
Iman
means
Palace
(from
Malay
Istana)
of
the
Light
of
Faith
(Arabic`
Nurul
Iman).
The
palace
was
built
in
two
years
and
finished
to
the
attainment
of
Brunei’s
independence
from
Britain
on
January
1st
1984.
More
than
1
billion
dollars
were
spent
on
its
construction.
The
architect
of
the
Palace’s
exterior
was
Leonardo
V.
Locsin,
who
tried
to
unify
Brunei’s
Islamic
and
Malay
architectural
traditions
in
the
design
of
Nurul
Iman.
The
designer
of
the
interior
was
Khuan
Chew,
who
also
worked
on
the
construction
of
Burj
Al
Arab
in
Dubai.
The
architecture
of
the
Sultan’s
residence
is
a
blend
of
European
and
traditional
Malay
architecture.
The
traditional
architecture
is
mixed
with
ultra-modern
luxurious
decor:
Italian
marble,
granite
from
Shanghai,
English
glass
and
the
best
Chinese
silk.
Gold
and
marble
were
the
main
decoration
materials
of
the
Palace.
38
different
kinds
of
marble
were
used
for
the
decoration
of
its
interior.
There
are
44
staircases
made
from
marble.
The
Palace
contains
1788
premises.
The
whole
palace
contains
200,000
square
meters
of
space.
The
mosque
of
the
palace
can
accommodate
up
to
1500
people,
while
the
banquet
hall
can
provide
space
for
over
5000
guests.
The
palace
even
has
a
helipad,
5
swimming
pools
and
more
than
250
bathrooms.
Istana
Nurul
Iman
is
the
official
residence
of
the
Sultan
of
Brunei
and
his
family,
as
well
as
the
location
of
the
senior
government
offices
of
the
country.
The
palace
is
hosting
the
most
important
governmental
bodies,
including
the
office
of
Brunei’s
prime-minister.
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