Publication Date
1910
Publication Place
Egypt -
Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Museum
Subject
Silk, cotton, gold, silver: embroidery
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
طول: 582 سم عرض: 290 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
FBQ.HH.700
Record ID
object;EPM;qt;Mus22;15;ar
Library Location
Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Museum
Date
1910
Notes
This piece represents part of the cover of the Kaaba (the Kiswa), which is the door covering, made of silk embroidered with gold and silver threads. The Kiswa is made with approximately 670 kilograms of silk embroidered with 220 kilograms of gold and silver. It is predominantly decorated with Arabic calligraphy. Before the emergence of Islam, the tribes of the region competed to cover the Kaaba, as it was a religious duty to take care of the Kaaba. The making of the kiswa, which lasts for an entire year, requires high precision and laboratory operations to create a suitable cover that can withstand the scorching rays of the sun. On the ninth day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah every year, the Kaaba takes on a new kiswah while the building disappears beneath it. Modern media, including live broadcasts, allow viewing of the production stages of the kiswah and the rituals of its replacement from all over the world.
Sample Text
Sarah Schroeder "Kiswa" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;qt;Mus22;15;ar
