Kiswah

Kiswah

The kiswa, an ornately embroidered black cloth used to cover the holy Kaaba in Mecca, has a long and rich history among the Islamic people. Made from the highest quality silks and embroidered with gilt silver thread, it is a covering truly befitting Allah’s favorite shrine on earth.

It is said in the Qur’an that the Kaaba was built by Abraham and Ishmael thousands of years ago. It has been demolished and rebuilt several times since its creation, and the people of the Arabian Peninsula have always revered it as an exceptionally holy place even before the development of Islam in the 7th century. A kiswa was not used until the Tubbaʿ Asʿad Abu Karib al-Ḥimyari “provided the Kaaba with a kiswa and a door with a lock” (Brill Encyclopedia of Islam) in the 6th century, several generations before Muhammad. Although the kiswa may protect the Kaaba from the elements, its primary function is to glorify and honor the holiest spot in Islam.

Different kings and caliphs created kiswas in many different colors. Because the kiswa is replaced each year, thus, it is relatively easy to change these details. Muhammad used “fine Yemeni cloth” (Radio Islam) to create the holy covering, but the kiswa has also been white, green and even red before Nassir Abbasi started the tradition of the black kiswa in the 13th century. The rich embroidery covering the kiswa was introduced later, more than 700 years after the first kiswa was draped upon the hold Kaaba (Radio Islam).

The modern kiswa is made up of 18 pieces. Together they form the main covering, as well as a special panel that covers the door to the Kaaba.

There is an elaborately embroidered belt (45 meters in length) that goes around the top of the kiswa, in addition to several other shapes around the sides of the covering. The curtain covering the door to the Kaaba is the most elaborately embroidered, and contains both verses from the Qur’an and a dedication offering the kiswa to God from the ruler of Saudi Arabia (the responsibility making of the kiswa is given to the ruler of Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia). The kiswa is draped over the top of the Kaaba and sometimes remains out of reach of the pilgrims circling below.

The process of making of the kiswa is also a practice steeped in history and ceremony. It was traditionally made in Egypt, and brought over in a caravan before the replacement ceremony. In the early 20th century, a factory was built in Mecca that ended this long tradition. Originally it took 100 Indian weavers nearly the entire year to create the holy work of art, but this method was deemed too time-consuming and the factory was shut down until the 1960s when modern machinery was introduced to the process.

Once the new kiswa is complete, the old covering is removed, cut up, and distributed to “certain individuals, visiting foreign Muslim dignitaries and organizations” (Radio Islam). This tradition goes back to before the time of Muhammad. The new kiswa, costing about 4.5 million American dollars, is then put into place on the 10th day of Dhu-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

The kiswa is considered the finest piece of Islamic art in the world. The care that is put into this holy “veil” (Brill Encyclopedia of Islam) is incredible, and is a true testament to the faith and dedication of the Muslims, and is a magnificent sight for all to see.