Kiswa Qandeel

Kiswa is the name of the cloth used to drape the Kaaba, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is draped annually on the 9th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, the day pilgrims leave for the plains of Mount Arafat during the Hajj pilgrimage. Muslims took over the tradition of the draping the Kaaba in 630 CE / 7 AH. The cover is 658m2 and is made from 670kg of silk thread and 15kg of gold thread. It is comprised of 47 pieces of cloth, with each piece measuring 14m long by 101cm wide. The Kiswa is wrapped around the Kaaba and fixed to the ground with copper rings. The tradition of cutting the cloth into pieces upon completion of Hajj began with Omar ibn Al-Khattab who distributed pieces of the cloth for pilgrims to use as shade on their return journey.