ISTANA NURUL IMAN - the palace of the Sultan of Brunei.
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 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 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.