Bolkiah, sultan of Brunei, celebrates 50 years in power

Last week Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah marked 50 years on Brunei's throne with a spectacular and lavish ceremony at his golden-domed palace. Among the sultan's contemporary monarchs, only Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for longer. By Rey Azizi

  • Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
    Marking 50 years on throne: Brunei’s fabulously wealthy sultan marked 50 years on the throne in lavish style, travelling in a gilded chariot pulled by dozens of his subjects
  • Tens of thousands of well-wishers in Brunei
    Bruneians waiting to see the sultan: tens of thousands of well-wishers lined the streets, waving the country's flag and cheering as the sultan passed by in his chariot
  • Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his wife Queen Saleha
    The sultan and the queen: the ruler and his wife, Queen Saleha, sat on golden thrones during a procession to mark his golden jubilee of accession to the throne in Bandar Seri Begawan. The 71-year-old is the 29th sultan of Brunei from a royal family that has ruled the country continuously for over 600 years
  • Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
    All that glitters ... :behind its gilded facade, Brunei is an absolute monarchy with strict Sharia-based laws. Homosexuality is punishable by death — by hanging or stoning
  • Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and Queen Elizabeth II in London (photo: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Grant)
    The longer-reigning monarch: only one living sovereign has ruled her people longer: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, pictured here with the sultan in 2015. She ascended to her throne on 6 February 1952
  • The Sultan's palace in Brunei
    A palace with 1,800 rooms: the sultan held his royal audience in the throne room of the palace, a vast complex of resplendent white buildings with golden domes and almost 1,800 rooms
  • Some of Brunei's 400,000 citizens
    One of the world's richest nations: with a population of about 400,000 people, Brunei is one of the world's wealthiest nations — thanks in large part to abundant oil and gas reserves
  • Festivities in Brunei
    Two weeks of celebrations: the festivities continued on for a fortnight, with Asian and Middle Eastern leaders attending a state banquet to mark the jubilee