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Five
times a day, the world’s one billion Muslims face towards Makkah
to perform their Prayers, one of the five pillars of Islam. The
spiritual center towards which Muslims pray is the Ka`bah in the
Sacred Mosque. A plain cubical building, the Ka`bah contains the
Black Stone, the only remnant of the oldest house of worship to
Allah, built by Ibrahim and his son Isma`il. To this structure come
more than two million Muslims a year from around the world to
perform the Hajj, the pilgrimage that is another pillar of Islam.
However,
neither the stone nor the Ka`bah are objects of worship for
Muslims. They represent a sanctuary consecrated to Allah and the
spiritual heart of the Islamic world. Throughout Islamic history,
service to the Ka`bah and the Sacred Mosque built around it has
been considered a great honor. This has been particularly so since
King `Abdul `Aziz ibn `Abdul Rahman Al-Sa`ud extended his
protection to Makkah in 1924. When he founded the modern Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia in 1932, he introduced a series of projects aimed at
facilitating the pilgrimage to Makkah for larger numbers of
Muslims. He initiated studies for expansion of the Sacred Mosque
that encloses the Ka`bah, as well as for the Prophet’s Mosque in
Madinah. He also improved health care, transportation, and housing
facilities for pilgrims. At the time, the Sacred Mosque could
accommodate only 48,000 worshipers. After the completion of the
most recent expansion project, launched by the Custodian of the Two
Sacred Mosques, King Fahd ibn `Abdul `Aziz in 1985, the Sacred
Mosque can now hold more than one million worshipers
simultaneously.
The
Sacred Mosque was first enlarged in the seventh century c.e. by `Umar
ibn Al-Khattab, the second caliph after the death of the Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
The
caliph also built the first enclosure around the Ka`bah, which up
to that time had been surrounded by low walls and had no roof. The
Ka`bah has traditionally been covered by the kiswah (drape). It is
related that the Prophet Muhammad himself (peace and blessings be
upon him) made a kiswah and helped drape the Ka`bah. After his
passing, the caliphs maintained this tradition. Later Muslim
leaders established endowments to prepare and send to Makkah a new
covering for the Ka`bah every year during the pilgrimage. In recent
centuries, the kiswah was made in Egypt and sent to Makkah by a
special camel caravan.
In
1927 c.e., King `Abdul `Aziz established the first workshop
dedicated exclusively to producing the kiswah in Saudi Arabia.
Located in Makkah, the workshop was first housed in a small
building and employed 16 craftsmen to produce the kiswah. A
new and larger factory was established in 1962 and later expanded
in 1977. This factory currently employs more than 240 craftsmen and
technicians who are entrusted with the honor of making the kiswah.
The
kiswah is traditionally made of black material with a
three-foot-wide band of inscription running around the top part of
the covering on all four sides of the Ka`bah. The main inscription,
in gold thread, means “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah.” Other inscriptions are verses from the
Qur’an.
The
workshop produces two kiswahs for the Ka`bah every year. One
is actually draped over the Ka`bah and the other one is used as a
backup in case it is needed. Work on these two pieces continues
throughout the year, passing through a series of stages.
The
entire outer layer of the kiswah is made of pure silk. Each
covering requires 1,795 pounds of silk thread. The thread arrives
at the workshop in its natural color and needs to be dyed, after
which it is spooled and ready for weaving. This outer layer of the kiswah
is woven entirely by hand, a process that requires patience and
exacting attention to quality. Once the panels for the kiswah
are completed, they are stitched together to form a one-piece
covering. The weight and size of the covering, which is 2,158
square feet, require a backing material for strength. This backing
material is also made of silk but is produced on modern mechanical
weaving looms.
One
of the most popular attractions for visitors to the “Saudi
Arabia: Yesterday and Today” exhibit during its 1989-90 tour of
major cities in the United States was the section in which Saudi
Arabian craftsmen worked on the kiswah.
With
the black outer shell complete, work focuses on producing the band
of inscriptions. This band is about 3.2 feet high and extends 157
feet around the top portion of the kiswah. Though the text
of the inscriptions never varies, the design and writing style is
subject to change and is proposed by a group of artists and
calligraphers. Once the design for the inscriptions has been agreed
upon, artists draw them life-size on large pieces of drafting
paper. These patterns are then transferred onto machines that weave
the inscription band.
After
the silk band is woven, it is ready to be embroidered by hand.
Initially, craftsmen embroider the Arabic inscriptions on the
entire band with yellow silk threads that stand out a quarter inch
above the surface of the panels. Gold-plated silver thread is then
used to embroider the inscriptions for a second time, giving it the
raised, glittering look that allows the calligraphy to be legible
from a distance. This is the most demanding and time-consuming
stage of the whole process and is done entirely by artisans.
Once
the bands are sewn onto the shell, the kiswah undergoes a
rigorous process of checking to ensure it meets the workshop’s
exacting standards.
The
new kiswah is placed on the Ka`bah on the ninth day of the
month of Dhul Hijjah during the annual pilgrimage to Makkah. Before
this is done, the structure is washed and temporarily draped in a
white covering. Once the new kiswah is in place, the one it
replaces is cut up and distributed among pilgrims.
The
kiswah workshop also produces a green inner curtain for the
interior of the Ka`bah and a dark red one for the Prophet’s room
in the mosque in Madinah. These are woven entirely by hand.
The
spectacular curtain that covers the golden door of the Ka`bah is
also produced by hand at the workshop. It is 23 feet high and 13.1
feet wide with the entire surface covered with verses from the
Qur’an embroidered in gold-plated silver thread.
The
outstanding workmanship of the curtain covering the door to the
Ka`bah reflects the dedication and devotion of the people who work
year-round to produce the kiswah.
In
addition, the workshop produces flags of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, which bear the inscription: “There is no god but Allah;
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,” as well as special gifts in
the form of embroidered verses from the Qur’an.
Examples
of the work of the artisans and craftsmen at the workshop can be
seen at the United Nations headquarters in New York and Saudi
Arabian embassies throughout the world, where sections of the kiswah
are prominently displayed. To view these works of art is to
appreciate the labor of love and dedication that they represent for
the artists who made them and for the people of Saudi Arabia as a
whole.
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