Riyadh: The Kiswah (Ghilaf-e-Kaaba) of the Holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, was replaced at dawn on Thursday, June 26, the first day of Muharram, marking the beginning of the Islamic year 1447 AH.
The ritual, overseen by the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, was led under the supervision of Sheikh Dr Abdul Rahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Sudais.
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A team of 154 technicians and craftsmen from the King Abdulaziz Complex for Holy Kaaba Kiswah completed a ten-step process to replace an old cloth with a new one.
To install the Kiswah, each side of the four sides of the Kaaba was lifted separately to the top, spread over the old side, fixed by tying and lowering, then moved up and down, lowering the old side from below and leaving the new side.
The process was repeated four times for each side until the Kiswah was completed and then the belt was weighed in a straight line by sewing it.
The sides and corners of the covering are fixed by sewing from the top to the bottom, followed by the placement of the curtain, which requires skill and time. A cut was made in the black fabric to match the size of the curtain, approximately 3.33 meters wide and 6.35 meters long.
Three openings were created in the black fabric to attach the curtain from underneath, and the edges were then sewn into the fabric on the Kiswah.
After the old Kiswah is removed, it is cut into small pieces that are given out to selected people and organisations.
It is heavily perfumed with oud before being installed.
This year’s ceremony saw the special participation of the children of martyrs—a humanitarian gesture that reflects their esteemed place in the hearts of the wise leadership and exemplifies the Kingdom’s continued commitment to honouring the children of heroes who sacrificed their lives in defence of the homeland
Earlier, on May 13, in preparation for the Haj season of 1446 AH (2025), the Kiswah was temporarily raised to protect it from damage during pilgrims’ circumambulation (tawaf).
Since 2022, the replacement has taken place on the first of Muharram, having previously been carried out during the days of Dhul-Hijjah.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the date as June 27. It has been corrected to June 26.
