المملكة: From the needle to the roof of the Kaaba… stories of kiswah makers between honor, mastery and responsibility

The covering of the Holy Kaaba represents one of the most prominent images that embody Changing the kiswa Behind this work are dozens of specialists who devote long years of their lives to serving this great honor, stressing that what they do goes beyond the limits of the job into a religious and national message that they are proud of.

Serving the Kaaba is an unparalleled honor

Ibrahim Omar Nofal, one of the workers at the King Abdulaziz Complex for Kiswa of the Holy Kaaba, confirms that working in the kiswah industry is not just a profession, but rather an honor and a great responsibility, saying that the workers are rewarded. Every step is with God Almighty, because serving the Holy Kaaba is an unparalleled honor.

He explained that the kiswah still relies on manual work in many stages of its manufacture despite the technical development witnessed by various industries, indicating that this approach comes in order to preserve the artistic and historical value of the kiswah, especially in the delicate embroidery work of Qur’anic verses and Islamic decorations that give it its usual beauty and prestige.

He added that daily work requires direct dealing with the needle, threads and elaborate embroidery work, especially in parts The belt and decorative pieces, indicating that these works require high skill, long patience and continuous training. He pointed out that the new worker is not directly assigned to work on Parts of the cladding. Rather, he undergoes training and qualification periods before tasks are assigned to him according to his abilities and level of proficiency.

Experience and skill in using the needle

Nofal pointed out that long experience gives the worker an exceptional feeling during manual sewing, as he becomes able to determine the position of the needle and stitches with extreme precision even without seeing the other side of the fabric, which reflects the extent of the skill that workers acquire through long years of practice.

He recalled one of the most prominent The milestones in his professional career were when his son participated in the work of changing the covering of the Holy Kaaba, stressing that that moment is one of the most precious memories in his life, as they worked together on the roof of the Kaaba while carrying out the plastering work, in a scene that embodies the extension of passion for the profession across generations.

He pointed out that he spent about 38 and a half years in serving the covering of the Holy Kaaba, stressing that working in this field was a dream and a wish that accompanied him for many years, and that fulfilling this wish represents a source of Pride and gratitude to God Almighty for the trust and honor bestowed on him to serve the Sacred House of God.

Readiness to work and study the smallest details

For his part, the supervisor of changing the covering of the Holy Kaaba, Fahd Al-Jabri, reviewed the details of the beginning of his assignment to supervise the change process, explaining that the person responsible for the task at that time was his colleague Saleh Al-Madani, who was approaching retirement age in the year 1420 AH, before he was nominated to assume this important responsibility.

Al-Jabri said that thinking about the task occupied him from the first moment he was assigned it, given the magnitude of the responsibility entailed in managing one of the most important operations associated with serving the Holy Kaaba, indicating that there is a big difference between participating within the work team and bearing the responsibility of fully supervising all the details.

He added that he began from that time to study the most minute details of the kiswa and the mechanism for its installation, as he used to visit the Grand Mosque on a daily basis to monitor the angles, sewing methods, and spacing between them. The various parts, with all notes and measurements recorded on special papers so that he can have a complete understanding of all aspects of the task.

He explained that the preparation period continued until the date of actual implementation, stressing that the extent of responsibility was so great that he could not sleep during the two days preceding the change process, due to his preoccupation with ensuring the readiness of all the details and ensuring the success of the mission, indicating that the success of the operation constituted a turning point and a source of great pride in his professional career.

Stages of the cladding industry

And on the other hand Another of the stages of Kiswa making, the head of the Kaaba Kiswa Assembling and Sewing Department, Salah Abdullah Amer Al-Sulami, explained that the assembly and sewing process goes through a series of precise steps that require specialized expertise and staff trained at the highest levels.

He explained that the work begins with assembling the inner lining made of white cotton, then assembling the patterned silk pieces consisting of 47 pieces, before moving on to the stage of assembling the gilded pieces for each side of the Kaaba separately.

He added that the belt is one of the most precise parts, as four pieces are assembled for each side before attaching them to the patterned silk fabric. The assembly work also includes the pieces located below the belt, which number seven pieces, in addition to 17 lamps and four pieces of Samadiyat.

Approval of national cadres in the manufacture of the cladding

Al-Sulami indicated that the stages of work also include preparing and assembling the pieces for the Black Stone Dinar, the Yemeni Corner, and the vein at the top of the Yemeni Corner, in addition to the suit. The gutter and cutting the curtain of the door of the Holy Kaaba, stressing that all these works are carried out according to precise standards of quality and mastery.

He stressed that what distinguishes the Kiswa industry is its reliance on specialized national cadres who possess accumulated experience in the work of sewing, embroidery and assembly, which contributes to preserving this ancient Islamic heritage and presenting it with the highest levels of quality that befit the status of the Holy Kaaba and its sanctity among Muslims in various parts of the world.

These certificates embody the amount of human and artistic effort expended behind the manufacture of the Kiswa Kiswa, where experience meets Long with high precision and deep belief in the message of the work, so that the cladding remains a symbol of the utmost care for the Holy House of God and a witness to a story of mastery that is renewed year after year.

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