With the start of the Hijri year 1448, the Kaaba’s covering was renewed, which is called Kiswa. The General Authority for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in Saudi Arabia announced that the Kaaba’s covering was changed in the eve of the Hijri year night by a team of 154 experts, as reported by the diyanethaber.
The process of changing the newly made 47-piece, 1415-kilogram cover took hours. Approximately 825 kilograms of pure silk, 180 kilograms of silver, and gold were used to make the Kaaba cover.
The old cover, which is replaced with a new one, is washed with Zamzam water and then sent to Islamic countries to be displayed in museums.
The belt around the Kaaba, crafted using silver and gold, features verses from the Holy Quran.
Produced with the world’s largest sewing machine
The Kaaba cover is produced at the King Abdulaziz Kiswah Complex in Mecca. Approximately 200 skilled craftsmen and administrative staff work at the complex. It also houses the world’s largest computer-aided sewing machine, measuring 16 meters in length.
Saudi Arabia traditionally changed the Kaaba’s covering on Arafah Day, the 9th day of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, but this practice was changed in 2022, and the covering renewal was moved to Muharram, the first day of the Hijri year.
