What is the Kiswa?
The Kiswa is a silk cloth placed over the Kaaba at the centre of the Great Mosque in Mecca - the holiest site in Islam - and is replaced each year as part of the Hajj pilgrimage.
Its origin is from when the Prophet Muhammed covering the Kaaba with Yemeni clothes following the conquest of Makkah in the ninth Hijri year, as he performed his farewell pilgrimage.
The colours of the covering has seen regular changes through the ages, including white, red and yellow. But today it is black with gold and silver threads embroidered in it.
It is split into five pieces to cover four sides of the Kaaba and a curtain for the door to the holy site. Up to 50ft in length, it weighs almost 1,500 lbs in high-quality silk.
It costs $6million to make and is traditionally paid for by the Saudi Arabia kingdom.
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