Bubungan Dua Belas (in

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

''bubungan'' (or ''bum bungan'') is roof, ''dua belas'' is twelve) or House of Twelve Roofs is located in Jalan Residency, at the foot of Bukit Subok Forest Reserve Recreational Park and about one mile from south of the center of

Bandar Seri Begawan Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB; Jawi: بندر سري بڬاوان; ) is the capital city of Brunei. It is officially a municipal area () with an area of and an estimated population of 100,700 as of 2007. It is part of Brunei-Muara District, the sm ...

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...

. It was formerly the official residence of British residents and high commissioners in Brunei and was built in 1906 during the tenure of the first resident

Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur Malcolm Stewart Hannibal McArthur (1872–1934) was the first British resident of Brunei. The son of General Charles McArthur and his wife Lucy Large, he was born in Medway, Kent. He was educated in Kelly College, Tavistock and Queen's college, ...

. It is one of the oldest surviving building in Bandar Seri Begawan. It served as a gallery that exhibits the long-standing relationship between the sultanate and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. The museum is currently closed for renovations.

History

The first house at the site of Bubungan dua belas was built by Great Britain's Consul General in Brunei

Spenser St. John Sir Spenser Buckingham St. John (22 December 1825 – 3 January 1910) was British Consul in Brunei in the mid 19th century. Early life On 20 September 1827, Spenser was baptised at St Pancras Old Church. Diplomatic career In 1847 St John's fa ...

during reign of Sultan

Abdul Momin Abdul Momin (; ; 1788 – 29 May 1885) was the 24th Sultan of Brunei from 1852 until his death in 1885. Early life He was the son of Pengiran Shahbandar Pengiran Anak Abdul Wahab and grandson of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin I. He was also the brot ...

, in 1856 as a temporary "leaf house" that was replaced in 1858 with a permanent building. That house fell into disrepair following Spenser St John departure to

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

and by 1907 had become a jungle-eaten ruin. In 1874, Inche Mohamed, a Malacca-born British citizen, was appointed as the Consul Agent and in 1883 he had built on water over the Brunei River an official residence which became the new consulate and later courthouse on an additional Sultan awarded piece of land nearer the river. That house was commemorated during 100th anniversary of Bubungan dua belas by Brunei postal authorities $1 stamp. The house was demolished around 1940. In December 1905 Sultan

Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin (; ; 1825 – 1906) was the 25th Sultan of Brunei from 30 May 1885 to 10 May 1906. Early life Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin was born in 1825 and son to then Sultan Abdul Momin. Before becoming the Sultan, he wa ...

allowed for a British Resident to be placed in Brunei. McArthur was appointed British Resident and in 1906 he had decided to build a new consulate on exactly the same spot as the former St John's house. The wooden Bubungan dua belas or the House of Twelve Roofs construction was completed by July 1907. The house served as a residence of a total of 25 British Residents and High Commissioners.

Renovations

The building was restored due to its historical and architectural significance by a joint Brunei and

project in 1998.

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

took part at the opening of the building as exhibition in April the same year. The building was renovated in 2007. In 2015, reportedly the museum was closed for renovation. In 2022, renovations at the museum was completed.

References

External links

100th anniversary of Bubungan dua belas is commemorated by Brunei postal services department
{{Coord, 4.877612, 114.951780, display=title Buildings and structures in Bandar Seri Begawan Museums in Brunei Historic sites in Brunei

History

Renovations

See also

References

Further reading

External links