Calligrapher: ‘Abd Allāh al-Zuhdi (d. 1879) Egypt, early to mid-1920s
The Kaaba is the holiest site in Islam, the destination for the hajj pilgrimage and the direction in which Muslims worldwide pray. Clothing the stone structure in a textile cover, called the kiswa, is a tradition that dates back to the pre-Islamic era. In the Islamic period, the kiswa has been adorned with verses from the Qur’an, such as the one shown here, which was made in Egypt in the 1920s. It was commissioned by King Fu’ād I, who ruled Egypt from 1917 to 1936. The calligrapher, Abd Allāh al-Zuhdi, was one of the greatest calligraphic masters of the late Ottoman period. His calligraphy adorned the two Holy Mosques for many decades and still remains, in places. He died decades before this kiswa was made, but his work lives on in the annual use of the stencils of his compositions.
The Qur’anic verse in the panel shown here is Sūrah al-Baqarah (The Cow), verse 125: “And when We made the House (at Mecca) a resort for mankind and sanctuary, (saying): Take as your place of worship the place where Abraham stood (to pray). And We imposed a duty upon Abraham and Ismail, (saying): Purify My house for those who go around and those who meditate therein and those who bow down and prostrate themselves (in worship).”
In the early Islamic period, the Kaaba was covered with textiles layered one on top of the other, but this practice was stopped due to the strain it placed on the structure of the Kaaba. Throughout these centuries many different colors were used, including red, white and green, until the custom of using black cloth, changed annually, was established by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Nasir.
From the 13th century CE to 1926, the kiswa was manufactured in Cairo, where a whole institution was established around the production of the sacred textile, which was sent annually to Mecca along with other gifts in a caravan. In 1926, its manufacture was moved to Mecca.
Learn More
To learn more about the Kaaba, Mecca and the hajj, visit our Holy Kaaba online exhibition.
Introduce your child to the Holy City and the hajj experience with the illustrated Going to Mecca, by Na’ima bint Robert.
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