New Covering Installed at Mecca’s Kaaba (+Video)
The General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques oversaw the replacement of the Kiswa (the black cloth covering the Kaaba), early Thursday to mark the start of the Islamic year 1447 AH.
It took place in accordance with the annual tradition on the eve of the new lunar year and the beginning of the month of Muharram.
This Kiswa, prepared at the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Manufacturing of the Kaaba’s Kiswa, was replaced by a team of specialists and experts trained for this purpose, in the presence of officials.
The specialized team first removed the old covering in several stages, then installed the new one.
The Kiswa consists of 53 embroidered pieces: 16 pieces for the middle belt, 7 pieces for the lower section, 4 pieces for the upper decorative section, 17 pieces for the hanging tassels (Qindil), 5 pieces for the doors, 1 piece for the Yemeni Corner (Rukn al-Yamani), 2 side pieces, and 1 decorative piece for the water spout (Mizab).
This year’s Kiswa was produced over nearly 11 months and went through seven stages: purification of water used in the process, silk washing, black dyeing, weaving, printing of calligraphy, gold and silver embroidery, and final assembly.
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Weighing around 1,415 kilograms, the Kiswa consists of 47 stitched panels of black silk. It features 68 Quranic verses, embroidered with silver thread coated in 24-karat gold.
Until a few years ago, the Kiswa was traditionally changed during the Hajj pilgrimage, which takes place in the final days of Dhu Al-Hijjah.
In recent years, however, the replacement has been aligned with the start of the Islamic lunar year. No official explanation has been given for this shift in timing.
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