Kaaba Kiswah Replaced in Grand Ceremony at Masjid al-Haram as Islamic New Year Begins in Saudi Arabia

The annual replacement of the Kaaba’s Kiswah carried out in a dignified and spiritually significant ceremony at Masjid al-Haram in Makkah on the first day of the Islamic New Year 1448 AH.

The process attended by about 250 experts from the Kiswah Factory and staff of the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, according to official reports. The replacement procedure done in about four hours.

Thousands of worshippers and pilgrims kept the ceremony of Tawaf and other acts of worship around the Holy Kaaba uninterruptedly. The process was well organize and enable a smooth progress of religious activities at the Grand Mosque.

The Kiswah is a piece of black silk embroidered with gold and silver Quranic verses, which is changed annually as a gesture of respect for the Holy Kaaba, the holiest place in Islam.

Said authorities have also changed the annual replacement of the Kiswah from Arafah day to the first day of the Islamic New Year since 2022. The shift allows Muslims to celebrate a new era in the Hijri calendar, which coincides with the beginning of a new year in Islam.

This event has continued to draw the world’s attention and millions of Muslims have been observing the event and its spiritual meaning annually. One of the most significant religious practices in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the replacement of the Kiswah.