Old Lapau

The Old Lapau (Malay: Lapau Lama), formerly known as the Lapau, is a historical building in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. It was the former lapau or royal ceremonial hall prior to the existence of the current Lapau building. It was also where the Constitution of Brunei was promulgated in 1959. It now houses a museum pertaining to the Constitution.

Old Lapau
Lapau Lama
Lapau in the 1950s
Former namesLapau
General information
TypeHistoric site, museum
LocationPusat Bandar
AddressJalan James Pearce
Town or cityBandar Seri Begawan
CountryBrunei
Coordinates4°53′29″N 114°56′30″E

Building

The building is located at Jalan James Pearce in Pusat Bandar, the city centre of Bandar Seri Begawan.[1] It is now part of the Brunei History Centre building and adjacent to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The building once served as the lapau, a Bruneian traditional hall where royal ceremonies were held.[2] It was built during the reign of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei.[2] The building eventually could not accommodate the growing capacity and a new lapau building was built which effectively replaced the existing building from 1968 until today.[2]

Since September 2018 the building now houses the 1959 Brunei Constitution Gallery (Galeri Perlembagaan Negeri Brunei 1959), a museum which showcases visual information on the Constitution of Brunei which was promulgated in the very building on 29 September 1959.[3]

The building has been officially designated as a historic site under the Antiquities and Treasure Trove Act of Brunei.[4]

References
  1. Brunei Darussalam street directory (2nd ed.). Brunei Press. 2014. p. 76. ISBN 9789991732411. OCLC 906930331.
  2. "Jabatan Adat Istiadat Negara - Bangunan Lapau". www.adat-istiadat.gov.bn (in Malay). Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  3. Salawati Haji Yahya (24 December 2018). "Galeri Pusat Sejarah dibuka untuk orang ramai". Media Permata Online (in Malay). Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  4. "Jabatan Muzium-Muzium - Monumen dan Tapak-Tapak Arkeologi". www.museums.gov.bn (in Malay). Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  • Media related to Old Lapau at Wikimedia Commons
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