BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Istana Nurul Iman, the Sultan of Brunei's lavish royal palace, will be open for three days, starting from the second day of Hari Raya (the festival at the end of the Muslim fasting month) to enable the public to have an audience with and convey their greetings to the Sultan and members of the royal family.
According to local media reports on Thursday, by the consent of the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Haji Alauddin, the Grand Chamberlain of Brunei announced that in conjunction with this year's Hari Raya, the Istana Nurul Iman will be open for three days for the public, from 10 a.m. until noon time and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time.
With 1,788 rooms, a banquet hall that can seat over 4,000 guests, Istana Nurul Iman is considered the largest residential palace in the world, which is only open to the public during the annual Islamic celebration of Hari Raya, when it receives about 100,000 visitors in recent years.
Bruneians dress in their finest to the occasion and everyone is eager to meet the Royals as it is considered to bring luck to their households. Tourists can also join locals to visit the palace on these very days and receive gifts from the royal family as well.
