Kiswah

The kiswah or kiswa (Arabic: كسوة الكعبة, romanized: kiswat al-kaʿba) is the cloth that covers the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is draped annually, although the draping date has changed over the years. A procession traditionally accompanies the kiswah to Mecca, a tradition dating back to the 12th century. The term kiswah has multiple translations, including 'robe' and 'garment'. Due to the iconic designs and the quality of materials used in creating the kiswah, it is considered one of the most sacred objects in Islamic art, ritual, and worship. The annual practice of covering the Kaaba has pre-Islamic origins and was continued by Muhammad and his successors. Historically, various types of cloth and textiles have been used as draping, but Egyptian produced kiswahs were popularized by early Islamic rulers.