The capital and center of governance and commerce of Sulu was not always Jolo. For most of its pre-colonial and colonial history, the Sultanate of Sulu has transferred the capital four times. Of the places designated as royal capital, the town of Maimbung holds preeminence for being the most ancient of all. The Royal Palace of Darul Jambangan or Palace of Flowers used to stand in Maimbung until its destruction by a typhoon in 1932.

There are efforts to restore what is dubbed as the largest palace to have ever existed in the Philippine Islands, and there is even a replica of the former palace in the neighboring town of Talipao albeit just roughly a quarter in size of the original one. To date, however, only old photographs and stories about the palace of the Sultan of Sulu remain.

Without the Sultan or his palace, only one royalty is left in Maimbung: God.

The Golden Mosque of Maimbung.

There is no doubt about the devotion and dedication of the people of Sulu to Allah. When Sheikh Karimul Makhdum arrived in Tawi–Tawi in 1380, he actually arrived in Sulu as Tawi–Tawi would not be separated as an independent province until 1973. Through centuries since the arrival of Islam in the islands, the people of Sulu have kept the faith alive, embracing its tenets and making it an integral part of their lives.

The Golden Mosque of Maimbung is a testament to the profound faith of the Muslims of Sulu to the Islamic religion. It was only recently built, but it does not fall short from anything regal. The tones of gold mixed with clean white and some verdant hues speak of majestic royalty fitting only to the Almighty Creator of the universe.

Some different angles and intricate details of the golden mosque.

The sun remained elusive when we were at the mosque, and in a way its absence provided a perfect lighting mix and background for picture taking. More than that, the gray skies heavy with clouds stood in perfect contrast to the golden domes and spires, as if a figurative illustration of how worship and prayer works: beautiful in the sight of the Almighty, piercing through the skies, reaching heaven.

The Golden Mosque of Maimbung does not only mirror the glory that the municipality was, being the capital of a mighty sovereign sultanate of the ancient past. It is likewise a present day edification of the faith that the islands of Sulu had the honor of receiving first in the Philippine archipelago. The delicate beauty that it features shouts both the royalty of the past and the majesty of the ever-living and ever-present God. The sultan deserves good things; for Allah, only the best.

The masjid of Maimbung is the epitome of the adage only the best for God, and affirms my belief that as far as worship is concerned, the word simple is just another term for the word ugly.