BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE Brunei Darussalam Maritime Museum in Kota Batu has received over 10,000 visitors since its opening in March.

Public relations officer at the Museums Department, Mariani Hj Abu Bakar, shared this with The Brunei Times yesterday.

Mariani said that the figure is made up of local and foreign visitors to the museum.

Asked if she expects the figure to rise during the fasting month of Ramadhan, Mariani replied that traffic for the museum is usually slow during this time.

It was previously reported that the museum recorded over a thousand visitors in its first week of opening.

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office first launched the Maritime Museum on March 23.

Located on the banks of the Brunei River, the museum cost $5 million to build, and was a project under the country’s 10th National Development Plan.

The Maritime Museum is divided into two galleries – a display of the discoveries of the Brunei Shipwreck in 1997 and another highlighting the importance of Kota Batu as the ancient capital of Brunei between the 14th and 17th centuries.

Currently, the museum houses a temporary exhibition which highlights the significant history and connections between Brunei and China, which was first established through the Maritime Silk Road more than 2,000 years ago.

The museum was launched to act as a repository for maritime history with relics, artefacts and maritime technology from various areas.

It will also preserve maritime artefacts which showcase Brunei’s role as a major settlement and trading centre.

The Maritime Museum is located at Simpang 482, Jln Kota Batu in Bandar Seri Begawan, next to the Brunei Museum of Technology.

It is open daily from 9am to 5pm, except on Fridays where it is open from 9am to 11.30am and from 2.30pm to 5pm.

During Ramadhan, the museum will be open from 9am to 3pm from Saturday to Thursday, and from 9am to 12pm on Fridays. Entry to the museum is free.

The Brunei Times