Changing the Kaaba’s covering on the first of Muharram 1447 AH

The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque replaced the Kaaba’s Kiswa last Wednesday evening, as is its annual tradition, in a continuous legacy of care spanning 100 years.

The Presidency stated in a statement that a qualified Saudi team of 154 craftsmen and artisans supervised the process of replacing the Kaaba’s Kiswa.

It explained that the process of replacing the Kiswa began with removing the gilded ornaments, lamps, and ornaments attached to the old Kiswa.

The Presidency indicated that the new Kiswa consists of 47 pieces of embroidered black silk, embroidered with 68 Quranic verses in 24-karat gold-plated silver threads, weighing a total of approximately 1,415 kilograms.

It also stated that the Kiswa includes 120 kilograms of gold-plated silver wire, 60 kilograms of pure silver, 825 kilograms of silk, and 410 kilograms of raw cotton. The Authority posted photos of the Kiswah replacement ceremony on its X platform account.

It’s worth noting that the Kiswah is manufactured at the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Holy Kaaba Kiswah, which employs approximately 200 craftsmen and administrators. It also houses the world’s largest sewing machine, measuring 16 meters in length, and operates a computerized system to assemble the Kiswah.