The mosque of Omar Ali Saifuddin towering above its capital has become a kind of national symbol for the Sultanate of Brunei. Built in 1958 with numerous arches, turrets, columns, domes and the only slender and high minaret, the mosque is the result of a bizarre imagination of the architect inspired by the collection of Arabic fairy tales "A Thousand and One Nights." The huge gilded dome of this grandiose structure, reaching a height of 52 meters, is visible from almost anywhere in the city. After the exquisitely luxurious look of some mosques, the modern simplicity and unpretentiousness of its interior may somewhat disappoint. In the lagoon surrounding the mosque, a 16th-century sultan model of a barge made of cement in full size is installed. On Thursdays and Fridays, only Muslims are allowed to worship in the mosque.