Significant Facts and Specifics About Kiswah – The Holy Cloth
The Holy Kaaba’s covering is done with a black cloth that has significant importance in Islam. This sacred cloth is called “Kiswah” which is beautiful and has its own fascinating impression on visitors. But most people are confused by the meaning of the golden Arabic letters engraved on the black Holy cloth. There are millions of Muslims who make trips to the Holy Kaaba every year in order to perform Umrah or Hajj. The Kiswah has a significant appearance with 650 kilograms of Italian natural silk that is used in the production of a single Kiswah. Each swatch of silk is 98 cm wide and 14 m long. To help protect the silk top, the Kiswah is lined with sturdy cotton on the inside. Quranic phrases are stitched on each of the sixteen pieces of silk used to create this covering. In addition, the Quranic passages on the Kiswah are embossed using over 120kg of silver and gold threads imported from Germany. Pilgrims can have the opportunity to take note of Kiswah by availing of all-inclusive Umrah packages that include a lot of amenities. Some significant facts about Kiswah are discussed below:
When is Kiswah Replaced?
After a year, on every 9th of Dhul Hajj, the new Kiswah is unveiled. The black fabric used to cover the Holy Kaaba is traditionally woven by the Bani Shaybah family of Makkah and given to the guardian of the Holy Kaaba two months before Hajj. When the ancient Kiswah has been thoroughly dismantled, it is given as a gift to dignitaries and as an offering to Muslim nations.
Kiswah is Prepared in Saudi Arabia
The Kiswah encasing the Holy Kaaba has been made by the Kiswah Al Kaaba Factory since 1927. Right after King Abdul Aziz’s conquest of the Hejazi area, the city was founded. The Saudi government owns and oversees the production of the Holy Kaaba’s cover, a process that takes a whole year and includes six to eight months of hand-embroidering the cover with verses from the Holy Quran.
Factory or Warehouse Where Kiswah is Manufactured?
A factory for the production of Kiswah was established in Makkah, Saudi Arabia in 1972. It employed over 200 people, 114 of whom were dedicated to embroidering the Kiswah with lines from the Quran. The Kiswah is manufactured at the factory using a four-stage method that was recently developed. In order to make their black sheets, the firm begins by importing raw silk from Italy. After being colored for 22 hours, the silk is weaved mechanically. One set of these sheets will be embroidered with silver and gold thread while the other set will be left plain black. After Kiswah’s traditional black fabric has passed density and durability tests, experts print the embroidered design on top of it.