Gold threads, sacred verses: Watch as 42 experts raise Kiswa on Kaaba ahead of Hajj

In preparation for Hajj, the Kaaba in Makkah gets a new cloth cover every year—and 2025's Kiswa has been raised in Islam's holiest place on Earth.

As part of the custom, the Kiswa is raised to a height of three metres from the bottom of the Holy Kaaba and underneath the black cover, the structure is covered with a white cotton cloth (ihraam) 2.5 meters in width and 54 metres in length.

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Many people still ask what is the Kiswa made of? How long does it take to raise it and what is actually written on it?

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The annual custom of Kiswa raising is meant to prevent damage to the Kaaba before the Hajj when millions of Muslims from all around the world flock to the city to perform Islam's most significant ritual.

This year's tradition was performed on Du al-Qada 15 (May 13) after Ishaa prayer, said the Saudi General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.

It added that the process took four hours complete. Eleven cranes were used by 42 specialists to cover the Kaaba with the new cloth.

Take a look at this year's Kiswa raising:

What is Kiswa made of?

A dedicated factory for preparing the Kiswa of the Holy Kaaba is located in Makkah itself, where the black curtain is made from silk embroidered with gold-plated threads forming Quranic verses that adorn the walls of Muslims' 'sacred house'.

In the past, the Kiswa was manufactured in Egypt and used to be transferred to the kingdom in a celebratory camel convoy called 'Al Mahmal'.

What is written on Kiswa?

The holy Kaaba is a cubic building that has four corners and they are: Al Rukn Al Aswad (the southeast corner where the black rock (Al Hajar al Aswad) is located - Al Rukn Al Iraqi - Al Rukn Al Shami and Al Rukn Al Yamani.

On each side of the structure, Quranic verses are inscribed in a specific style of Arabic calligraphy called Al Thuluth Al Jali. Among these verses, there are ones that tell the story of building the Kaaba and those calling upon Muslims to perform Hajj.

In 2024, a total of 1,833,164 pilgrims performed Hajj. Of these, 1,611,310 were international pilgrims (87.9%), while 221,854 were domestic pilgrims (12.1%) from within the Kingdom, according the Saudi Authority of Statistics.