The Holy Kaaba was draped in a new kiswa at the start of the Hijri year 1448 AH, in a ceremony at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Tuesday, June 16. The replacement of the black, gold-embroidered covering is one of the most cherished annual rituals at Islam's holiest site, and the Saudi Press Agency reported that it marked the completion of months of work at the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Holy Kaaba Kiswa.
Eleven months of craftsmanship
According to the Saudi Press Agency, about 150 Saudi craftsmen worked for 11 months to produce the new covering. The kiswa is made of 47 pieces of black silk embroidered with 30 Qur'anic verses rendered in silver thread plated with 24-karat gold. The finished covering weighs around 1,410 kilograms.
Workers installed the embroidered curtain along with the hizam, the belt of inscriptions that runs around the upper portion of the Kaaba, as well as the samadiah decorative elements, lantern-shaped pieces, and the ornamentation around the mizab, or rainwater spout, the corners and other parts of the structure. The result, the agency said, was a scene marked by reverence and devotion.
A garment of many fabrics
Though the kiswa appears to the eye as a single, seamless black garment, it is in fact assembled from several types of fabric, each chosen for a specific role in its structure, appearance and durability.
The main outer fabric is black silk, which gives the kiswa its distinctive appearance. Embossed black silk is used for the inscriptions and decorative motifs. Inside, off-white cotton serves as a lining to add strength and durability, while white cotton supports additional sections for structural stability. Red silk appears in some decorative elements, and green silk is used behind the curtain of the Kaaba's door, with embossed green silk forming the inner covering. These materials are combined through a precise production process that reflects the craftsmanship behind the covering.
A ritual that marks the new year
The changing of the kiswa is among the key rituals carried out at the Grand Mosque and has long symbolized the care given to the Kaaba. The covering is renewed each year, and its production at the dedicated complex in Makkah brings together weaving, dyeing, printing and gold embroidery under one roof. For Muslims worldwide, the unveiling of a fresh kiswa is a visible sign of the turning of the Islamic calendar and of the continuity of devotion at the heart of Islam.
For pilgrims and visitors arriving in Makkah for Umrah in the new season, the new kiswa will be the covering they see as they perform tawaf around the Kaaba. Those hoping to witness the craftsmanship up close can visit exhibitions in Makkah that display historic and contemporary pieces of the kiswa and explain how it is made. As always, visitors are reminded to perform tawaf calmly, to follow the guidance of officials in the mataf area, and to avoid crowding near the Kaaba's corners and door during peak hours so that the rites can be completed safely.