The General Authority for Overseeing the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has completed the ritual of raising the lower part of the Kiswa or the lower part of the Holy Kaaba.
Wednesday’s ceremony involves taking out a Kiswa about 3 meters long and covering the four sides with a white cotton cloth measuring 2.5 meters wide and 54 meters long.
These precautionary measures, which are part of the plan for the 2024 Hajj season, are aimed at protecting Kiswas from harm while performing the Hajj.
Pilgrims touch the Kiswah during the ritual circumambulation around the Holy Kaaba and sometimes cause intentional damage.
A white cotton cloth 2.5 meters wide and 54 meters long is drawn on four sides to cover the front of the Holy Kaaba. This temporary cover will last until 15 Dhu al-Hajj.
A team of 36 Saudi Arabian technicians specially equipped with 10 cranes to carry out the operation. This process involves several complex steps, starting with drawing the base of the lid from all sides. The corner is then split, the bottom thread is exposed and removed from the binding ring, and the fabric is rolled.
After the Kiswah is raised, the lights around the Kaaba are removed to make way for the white cloth to be placed. The lamps were restored in white cloth until the final stage, which included covering the lower part of the curtain of the door of the Holy Kaaba.
