Built on an artificial lagoon on the banks of the river Brunei, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque dominates not only so-called village in the water, Kampong Ayer, but even the skyline of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of the sultanat. The mosque initially seems more attraction than place of worship. However, this could not be farthest from the truth, and the grandiose mosque was in fact designed solely for prayer to Allah. Completed in 1958 and named after Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei who also initiated its construction, the mosque serves as a symbol of the Islamic faith in Brunei, the official religion of the state. Formally, the freedom of religion is guaranteed, but more recently the Sultan has announced strict penalties for those who leave Islam.
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