The BKISHHB, formerly known as the Balai Pameran Islam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (BPISHHB), was officially opened by His Majesty His Highness Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, son of the -the Late Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddin Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Head of State of Brunei Darussalam, on 28 Jamadilakhir 1422H, corresponding to 18 August 2001, in conjunction with the First International Islamic Expo in Brunei Darussalam. The exhibition of the collection at that time was held at the Darul Ifta’ Building in Brunei Darussalam.

Pursuant to the Decree of His Majesty His Highness Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, son of the late Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Ruler of Brunei Darussalam, who issued a decree during the Inauguration of the 2019 Majlis Ilmu on the occasion of His Majesty’s 73rd birthday and the Inauguration of the Permanent Building of the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Islamic Heritage Hall on 13 Safar 1441H corresponding to 12 October 2019, His Majesty expressed the hope that this Hall would truly become a center for Islamic scholarly heritage, capable of revitalizing the culture of scholarship through academic activities with the involvement and commitment of higher education institutions to ensure the success of such academic activities and programs. His Majesty joyfully named this permanent building the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Islamic Heritage Hall (BKISHHB).

His Majesty believes that this Center has the potential to become a “One-Stop Islamic Tourism Destination,” emphasizing the importance for relevant ministries and agencies to make a united commitment to the Center’s advancement.

The current roles of BKISHHB are as follows:

Collecting and preserving Islamic heritage;
Maintaining and conserving Islamic heritage;
Exhibiting Islamic heritage in a scholarly manner;
Conducting research and investigative activities; and
Disseminating knowledge through academic conferences, research, writing, translation, and education.

TERMS RELATED TO THE SULTAN HAJI HASSANAL BOLKIAH ISLAMIC HERITAGE CENTER:

The Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Islamic Heritage Center can be defined as a place for storing and exhibiting Islamic collection materials belonging to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.

BALAI (بالاي): Balai means a building or structure. It can be understood as a place used to display works of art and the like.

KHAZANAH (خزانه): Derived from the Arabic word meaning a place for storing items. Khazanah also refers to possessions and assets considered to be of high value.

ISLAM (إسلام): Generally, Islam is the official religion of the State of Brunei Darussalam. The term Islam refers to materials that embody the values and identity of the Islamic faith.

SULTAN HAJI HASSANAL BOLKIAH (سلطان حاج حسن البلقيه): This term is derived from the name of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, as the owner of the exhibited items, which are part of His Majesty’s personal collection, whether they originate from within or outside Brunei Darussalam.