MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has completed the replacement of the Kiswa of the Holy Kaaba at the beginning of the new Islamic year.
A specialised team of 154 Saudi professionals from the King Abdulaziz Complex for Holy Kaaba Kiswa conducted the process, continuing for over 100 years, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Thursday.
The team was strategically assigned to various sides and the roof of the Kaaba based on their areas of expertise.
The process began with dismantling the old Kiswa and installing the new one, which was then secured at the corners and across the roof of the Kaaba.
The new Kiswa weighs approximately 1,415 kilograms and stands 14 meters high. It comprises four separate panels and a door curtain known as the ‘Sitara’.
Each panel was individually raised and precisely aligned over the existing covering, with the new Kiswa gradually lowered as the old one was carefully removed. This process was repeated on all four sides of the Holy Kaaba.
Efforts continue to replace the #Kaaba_Kiswa.#SPAGOV pic.twitter.com/tCD1Fbp4am
— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) June 25, 2025
Once in place, the decorative band (hizam) was aligned and stitched along a straight line around the Holy Kaaba. Next, the corners were sewn vertically from top to bottom to ensure a seamless and secure finish.
The ‘Sitara’, which requires precision and considerable time, was then installed. A cut was made in the black silk fabric to fit the curtain—measuring 3.30 meters wide and 6.35 meters long—and three openings were created beneath the fabric to insert the curtain.
It was then sewn into the Kiswa from both the inside and outside to ensure proper placement.
The making of the Kiswa consumed approximately 825 kilograms of raw silk, dyed black at the complex, 120 kilograms of gold-plated silver thread, 60 kilograms of pure silver thread, and 410 kilograms of raw cotton.
