Kiswah

The Kiswah

The Kiswah is a black cloth, woven of silk and lined with cotton, which covers the Kaaba. Each year, a new Kiswah is prepared, embroidered in gold thread with the Shahadah and verses from the Holy Qur'an and carried to the Holy City of Makkah by pilgrims. The completed Kiswah is over 45 feet wide, and nearly 130 feet in length. A recent estimate of producing the Kiswah each year put the cost at about SR 17 million (U.S. $ 4.5 million). The Kiswah is created in the special factory that has been making kiswahs since it was first opened around 1927. During the Hajj, the black Kiswah is replaced by a white cloth, matching the white robes (ihram) of the pilgrims. At the end of Hajj, the newly woven kiswah is placed over the Kaaba. The old one is cut into small pieces and give to pilgrims from different Muslim countries.