Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2013-10-14

The ornate protective and beautiful Kiswa was draped over the Ka’bah on the 9th Thul Hijjah (14 October) while many Hujjaj were at the plains of Arafah.

The history of the Kiswa is mesmerizing.  More than 200 men have been laboring at the Makkah factory for eight months to produce the gold-embroidered, black-dyed Kiswa, a silk cover for the Kaaba.

Hussanian Al-Sharif, head of the embroidery department who has worked at the factory for 37 years said the stitching of Islamic calligraphy in gold threads onto the silk is a skill that has been passed on from generation to generation.

"No one outside this factory knows how to do the embroidery that we do, so that's why our old workers have to train the newcomers for a three-month period before they start," he said.

At the end of the hajj, the old Kiswa, produced at a cost of $6 million provided by the Saudi authorities will be cut into pieces to be distributed to dignitaries and religious organizations.

Those fortunate enough to obtain a piece regard the fragments as precious heirlooms.

The Nearly all of the 210 workers come from the city of Makkah and most of them have worked there all their lives.

Before the factory was opened in 1927, the 47 pieces of the Kiswa were manufactured in Egypt and materials were bought from Sudan, India, Egypt and Iraq.

Mohammed bin Abdullah Bajuda, the factory's general manager says Today the 658-square-meter covering is made of 670 kg (1,500 lb) of high-quality silk imported from Italy and Switzerland.

"The silk is dyed black here and we spin it ourselves to make the material, then it is hand-embroidered with 120 kg of pure gold and silver," he told Reuters in an interview.

Salman Al-Loukmani, head of the materials department said that machines to help automate the process were introduced 25 years ago.

"Before we used to have a lot more workers and it was a very long process to make the material by hand. Now we have a number of Swiss spinning machines that help us," he said.

Hajee’sometimes tear parts of the cover during Hajj to take home, but the factory is prepared for any eventualities.

"One of the main challenges for the Kiswa factory is the Hajee’s who tear pieces of the Kiswa with their hands or other sharp objects, so every hour we have a maintenance team to repair the damage," Bajouda said.