The Kiswa · Islam Museum

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Depth

At a glance

Identifiers: Wikidata
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Sacred space and pilgrimage Arts of the book

Overview

The black kiswa of the Kaaba, embroidered with gold and silver; it is replaced each year in the season of the hajj, and its old cloth is distributed as gifts. ¹

Impact

Its traditions run from the pre-Islamic period to the modern Mecca workshop; it is made today at the Kiswa Factory in Umm al-Jud by two hundred craftsmen. ¹

People and things also explored

Mahmal· Al-Kadhimiya Mosque (Kazimayn shrine)· al-Qullays (the Yemeni Kaaba)· Zamzam Well· Dar al-Nadwa· Dhu al-Khalasa (the 'Ka'ba of Yemen')· Imam Husayn Shrine, Karbala· The Kaaba

Sources

Wikidata

Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “The Kiswa”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/object/kiswa/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-17.

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Objects

Manuscripts, art, architecture and relics from collections worldwide. Related

Mahmal

An ornate empty litter borne on a camel in the Hajj caravan symbolising sovereign care for the Hijaz; the Egyptian mahmal lasted until the mid-20th century.