30 Jun , 13:48
0
The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) and the Prophet's Mosque (Masjid an-Nabawi) in Saudi Arabia reported that the replacement of the Kaaba's covering was carried out on the evening of June 25 by a group of 154 specialists.
The large-scale process of replacing the sacred covering, which used 47 new elements with a total weight of 1415 kg, took only a few hours thanks to the coordinated work of the team of professionals.
To create the new majestic covering, about 825 kg of pure silk was used, as well as 180 kg of precious metals — silver and gold, which emphasizes the special significance of this sacred attribute.
The old covering, which gave way to the new one, undergoes a special ritual — it is carefully washed with water from the sacred "Zamzam" spring, after which it is sent to Islamic countries, where it occupies a place of honor in museum exhibitions.
The Kaaba's covering is skillfully embroidered with verses from the Holy Quran using silver and gold, which gives it special spiritual and artistic value.
Produced on the world's largest sewing machine
The unique Kaaba covering is manufactured in the specialized King Abdulaziz Complex for Kiswa Production, located in the holy city of Mecca.
About 200 highly qualified craftsmen and administrative staff work in this unique complex, preserving centuries-old traditions of making the sacred covering.
The special pride of the complex is the world's largest computerized sewing machine with an impressive length of 16 meters, which allows creating a covering of exceptional quality.
Previously, Saudi Arabia traditionally changed the Kaaba's covering on the 9th day of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, on the Day of Arafah, following centuries-old customs.
However, in 2022, this ancient tradition underwent changes: now the Kiswa is renewed on the first day of the month of Muharram — symbolically marking the beginning of a new year according to the Islamic lunar calendar.
