Kaaba Draped in 670 kg Silk Kiswah for Hajj Pilgrimage

The first day of Hajj began on 25 May 2026, with more than 1.5 million Muslims traveling to Mecca for the five-day pilgrimage. Pilgrims visit the Kaaba inside Masjid al-Haram and circle it counterclockwise several times during the rituals. The Kaaba measures 13.1 m high, 12.8 m long and 11.03 m wide. Muslims worldwide face toward it during daily prayers, a direction called the qibla.

The Kaaba has a gold door on its northeastern side that contains 280 kg of pure gold. The door stands more than two metres above the ground and is opened twice a year for interior cleaning. Inside are three wooden pillars, a staircase to the roof, marble floors and walls, and hanging lanterns. Textiles that once lined the interior were red, green or dark blue.

The Kiswah is a black silk cloth 14 m high made of 47 strips. A 95 cm wide embroidered belt called the hizam runs around it, and a decorated curtain called the sitara hangs above the door. The cloth weighs approximately 670 kg and is embroidered with about 120 kg of 24-carat gold thread and 100–120 kg of silver thread. More than 240 workers at the Kiswah factory in Mecca produce each covering.

Before Islam, it served as a site for various Arabian tribes. Prophet Muhammad restored it to monotheistic worship around 630 CE. Early coverings used linen, cotton, wool or leather. Production later moved among Egypt, Syria, Baghdad and Yemen before Saudi Arabia assumed responsibility after the Ottoman period.