Saudi Arabia replaces embroidered pieces around Black Stone

The work was completed without disturbing Umrah pilgrims

The Kaaba's black stone. Photo: The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque

Saudi Arabia on Monday completed the replacement of the embroidery surrounding the Kaaba's Black Stone in Makkah.

The Agency for the Affairs of the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Kiswa of the Holy Kaaba at the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has finished replacing the embroidered pieces surrounding Al Hajar Al Aswad, the Black Stone, and Rukn Al Yemani, the Yemeni Corner.

The work of replacing embroidered pieces with golden reed threads was carried out by six employees and skilled tailors from the complex.

The project took 20 days to complete, taking into account of the growing number of the pilgrims performing Umrah.

The Black Stone is the point from which the circumambulation begins and ends for tawaf, the ritual where pilgrims go around the Kaaba seven times anti-clockwise to complete the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage.

The works took place without affecting the practice of Pilgrims greeting and kissing the Black Stone, and touching the Rukn Al Yemani.

The Black Stone, or Hajar Al Aswad in Arabic, was placed by the Prophet Mohammed in the Kaaba in 605 CE.

The Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, has four corners, with its northern corner known as the 'Iraqi corner', the western as the 'Levantine corner', the southern as the 'Yemeni corner', and its Black Stone is placed in the eastern corner of the structure.

The Kiswa is made of pure silk with gold threads at a cost of more than 22 million Saudi riyals. It is manufactured in a special factory in the Umm Jood neighbourhood in Makkah which is manned by 240 technicians, weavers, and administrators.

The Kiswa is 95 centimetres wide and nine meters high.

It is made of 47 pieces which are joined together to cover all the corners of the Kaaba.