by Salwa Abuljadayel

Saudi Gazette

MAKKAH — The Kiswa, the cloth covering the Holy Kaaba, was replaced with the new one early Monday in accordance with the annual tradition ahead of Eid Al-Adha, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The process was carried out by a special team from the General Administration of King Abdulaziz Complex for the Kiswa of the Holy Kaaba amid all coronavirus precautionary and preventive measures.

Each of the four parts of the Kiswa was separately raised, in preparation for stretching it on the old side.

The side was consolidated from above by tying it and dropping at the other end after the old side’s ropes were untied by moving the new side up and down.

Then, the old side was removed from the bottom and the new side remained, and the process was repeated four times for each section until the operation was complete and the belt was sewn in a line, straight with the four sides

Deputy head of the General Presidency for the Grand Mosque Affairs Dr. Saad Bin Mohammad Al-Mohammed said in a statement that the Kiswa is made of 670 kg of high-quality silk, 120 kg of gold threads, and 100 kg of silver threads.

As many as 200 Saudi craftsmen are engaged in producing the black curtain at King Abdulaziz Complex for Holy Kaaba Kiswa, Al-Mohammed said.