kiswah

Kiswah is the ceremonial cloth that covers the Kaaba, the cube-shaped sanctuary at Masjid al-Haram in Mecca. The cloth is renewed annually during the Hajj season and replaced with a newly woven covering.

The kiswah is made of black silk, often described as silk satin, and is richly embroidered with Qur’anic verses in gold and silver thread. The inscriptions are arranged in decorative bands and borders that surround the cloth, creating a visually intricate frame for the Kaaba.

Production is centralized in Mecca by artisans working in a kiswah workshop under the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques. The process begins many months before the annual replacement and uses high-quality silk, gold thread, and traditional calligraphy techniques. The old kiswah is then cut into pieces and distributed to dignitaries, donors, pilgrims, or institutions as relics or souvenirs.

Historically, the practice of covering the Kaaba with a cloth predates modern states and has been maintained by various Muslim rulers throughout the centuries. In modern times, the Saudi government has standardized and organized the fabrication and installation of the kiswah, conducting the ceremony with official rites each year. The kiswah remains a symbol of the reverence and ritual surrounding the Kaaba and the pilgrimage to Mecca. See also Kaaba.