Saudi Gazette report

MAKKAH — The weight of the cotton used in the Kaaba Kiswa (the black cloth covering the Kaaba) is 410 kilograms, and the total weight of the Kiswa is 1,300 kilograms, the Under-Secretary-General for the Affairs of King Abdulaziz Complex for Holy Kaaba Kiswa Amjad Bin Ayed Al-Hazmi confirmed.

Al-Hazmi’s confirmation came coinciding with the World Cotton Day, which takes place annually on Oct. 7, as he stated that the cotton is considered an important and essential raw material for making the Kaaba Kiswa.

He pointed out that the cotton used in the Kiswa is woven in the sections of the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Holy Kaaba Kiswa, through the latest weaving machines, and the cotton is used as a lining for the Kiswa’s cloth.

The cotton is used in the Kaaba Kiswa due to its special features that give the Kiswa the durability and the necessary strength to withstand the erosion factors during the year.

Al-Hazmi also said that cotton is used in the production of the gilded pieces of the Kiswa as a filling to highlight the embroidered letters of the holy verses from the Qur’an that is used in the Kaaba Kiswa.

According to Al-Arabiya, environmental and agricultural researcher Nasser Al-Shadwi said that the cotton tree is one of the best trees that adapt to all climates, cold or hot, while adding that it is produced throughout the year and reaches a height of about 4 meters.

He added that cotton is one of the most consumed agricultural crops around the world, in addition to that it is distinguished by being one of the most widely cultivated and sold crops in the world, and it is also easy to wash.