Makkah: Officials in Makkah raised the lower part of the kiswa, the black cloth covering the Kaaba, as part of preparations for the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The exposed section was covered with white cotton fabric, following procedures approved by the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques. The task involved 36 specialized technical personnel and 10 cranes.
The process entails unscrewing and separating the bottom of the cover, removing the bottom rope and rolling the cloth upward. Lanterns are dismantled and white cloth is placed before reinstallation. This annual tradition aims to preserve the kiswa from soiling and damage during pilgrimages.
Hajj, the world's largest human gathering, saw a peak of 3.16 million participants in 2012. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia restricted Hajj to a symbolic observance with only a thousand pilgrims, gradually increasing numbers as the situation improved. Last year, nearly 1.84 million pilgrims performed the pilgrimage, with expectations of higher numbers this year.
On the ninth day of the Islamic month of Dul Hijjah, the black silk cloth is replaced with a new kiswa, marking a significant ritual in Islamic tradition.