The holy Kaaba’s elaborate covering, known in Arabic as “Kiswah”, was ceremonially changed on Thursday – the Day of Arafat, which coincides with the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reports.
Early Thursday morning, Saudi media broadcast footage of the changing ritual showed officials from Saudi Arabia’s General Presidency for the Holy Mosque replacing last year’s Kiswah with a new one.
According to tradition, the ritual takes place every year on the ninth day of the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah, which coincides with the Day of Arafat.
MEMO reports that the standing 14 meters tall the new Kiswah – made from about 700 kilograms of black-dyed silk and around 120 kilograms of gold and silver wire — is said to have cost some 22 million Saudi riyals (roughly $6 million).
The majestic covering is adorned with Quranic phrases and verses, such as “Praise be to Allah, Lord of Worlds”. Recent weeks have seen hundreds of thousands of Muslims from around the world converge on Saudi Arabia to perform this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.
