Kiswa, Ghilaf of Holy Kaaba

The Kiswa, also known as the Ghilaf, is the black silk and gold embroidered cloth that covers the Holy Kaaba, the most sacred site in Islam. The Kiswa is draped over the Kaaba once a year during the Hajj season, which is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Kiswa is made up of several pieces of silk stitched together and embroidered with gold thread. The cloth is about 14 meters high and 47 meters wide, and it is replaced every year before the start of the Hajj season. The new Kiswa is then transported from Cairo, Egypt to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, where it is draped over the Kaaba.

The process of making the Kiswa is a lengthy and intricate one. The silk is woven in various parts of the world, including Egypt, Syria, and India, and then sent to Mecca to be embroidered with Quranic verses and Islamic motifs. The gold thread used in the embroidery is also sourced from various parts of the world.

The Kiswa is considered a symbol of the unity of the Muslim ummah, or community, and a reflection of the importance of the Kaaba in Islam. It is also a reminder of the simplicity and humility of the Islamic faith, as the Kaaba itself is a plain and unadorned structure that emphasizes the importance of worshipping God alone.