Istana Nurul Iman, Royal palace in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Istana Nurul Iman serves as the official residence of the Sultan and covers 200,000 square meters with 1,788 rooms. The complex holds 257 bathrooms and a banquet hall that can accommodate 5,000 guests.
Istana Nurul Iman was designed by Filipino architect Leandro V. Locsin, who used golden domes and vaulted roofs to echo Brunei's Islamic and Malay influences. Construction drew 10,000 workers from 17 countries and was completed in 1984 at a cost of around US$1.4 billion. It became the largest residential palace in the world and the largest single-family residence ever built.
The name joins Malay istana with Arabic nur al-iman, "Light of Faith". Each year at Eid al-Fitr the palace opens for three days: the Sultan greets male guests with a handshake while the Queen receives the women, and visitors are served a free festive meal.
The residence opens to the public during Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations each year. Visitors receive gifts and money packets from the Sultan during the three-day event.
The complex houses around 110 separate garages within its grounds. These buildings hold a collection of roughly 7,000 vehicles.
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