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What’s inside the Kaaba and what covers it? The story of the Kiswah

Al Jazeera · · 1636 words · By Alma Milisic; AJLabs
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/5/25/whats-inside-the-kaaba-and-what-cov…

fact_checkFact-Check Results

27 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 17
info Single Source 6
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“The Kaaba, draped in 670kg of silk and embroidered with 200kg of gold and silver thread.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Al Jazeera, Khaleej Times) confirm the use of 670kg of silk. While the gold/silver breakdown varies slightly (200kg total vs 120kg gold/100kg silver), the overall figures are consistent across reports.
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web search NEUTRAL — At the heart of Hajj stands the Kaaba, draped in 670kg of silk and embroidered with 200kg of gold and silver thread. Listen (10 mins).
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/5/25/whats-inside-th…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Director General of the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Kaaba Kiswa, Ahmed Al-Mansouri, said that the Kiswa consumes approximately 670 kg of raw silk dyed black, 120 kg of gold threads and 100 kg o…
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/new-kiswa-replaces-old-kaab…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Holy Kaaba was adorned with a new cover or “Kiswa” on Monday in an annual process carried a day before Muslims mark Eid Al Adha.Mansouri said that the Kiswa is made from about 670 kg of raw silk, …
https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2018/08/20/Where-does…
info
“more than 1.5 million Muslims from around the world making the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results for this claim are dictionary definitions of the word 'more' and do not provide any factual data regarding the number of pilgrims.
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web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago · Seen from this perspective, music seems not merely like an activity that builds cognitive skills, but perhaps even more essentially like an activity that builds social connection.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/more
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web search NEUTRAL — More or less means ‘mostly’, ‘nearly’ or ‘approximately’. We use it in mid position (between the subject and main verb, or after the modal verb or first auxiliary verb, or after be as a main verb).
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/more
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web search NEUTRAL — (used with a pl. verb) A greater or additional number of persons or things: I opened only two bottles but more were in the refrigerator.
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/more
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“The Kaaba is draped in a black cloth called the Kiswah, which is embroidered in gold with Arabic Quranic verses.”
CORROBORATED
Confirmed by Wikipedia, Al Jazeera, and the Hajj and Umrah Planner. All agree the Kiswah is a black cloth with gold-embroidered Quranic verses.
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web search NEUTRAL — Kiswah, the embroidered covering. Kiswa is a black silk and gold curtain which is replaced annually during the Hajj pilgrimage.[87][88] Two-thirds of the way up is the hizam, a band of gold-embroidere…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaaba
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web search NEUTRAL — The Kaaba is draped in a black cloth called the Kiswah, which is embroidered in gold with Arabic Quranic verses. In this visual explainer, Al Jazeera breaks down 10 things to know about the Kaaba, its…
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/5/25/whats-inside-th…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Kiswah (Arabic: كسوة الكعبة; kiswat al-kaaba) is the black silk cloth adorned with verses from the Quran embroidered in gold thread that covers the Kaaba.
https://hajjumrahplanner.com/kiswah/
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“The Kaaba, meaning cube in Arabic, is Islam’s holiest site and is at the centre of Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Mosque in Mecca.”
CORROBORATED
Confirmed by Wikipedia and The Traveller. Both confirm the Kaaba is the holiest site in Islam, located in Masjid al-Haram, and that the name means 'cube' in Arabic.
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web search NEUTRAL — Building at the center of Masjid al-Haram. This article is about the Islamic holy site in Mecca. For other cube-shaped places of worship in ancient Arabia, see Kaabas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaaba
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web search NEUTRAL — Masjid Al-Haram. The Kaaba – A Cuboid Shaped Building.Pilgrimage to holy site is main principle of all faiths and the Kaaba which means cube in Arabic is a square building which is gracefully draped i…
https://www.lamoillehouse.com/2016/01/the-kaaba-masjid-al-ha…
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web search NEUTRAL — Discover Masjid al-Haram in Mecca – the holiest mosque in Islam. Learn about its history, Kaaba, Hajj rituals, expansion projects, and sacred sites like the Black Stone and Zamzam Well.
https://prayertimesksa.com/masjid-al-haram-sacred-mosque/
info
“The Kaaba measures 13.1m (43 feet) high, 12.8m (42ft) long and 11.03m (36ft) wide.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided search results for this claim are general definitions of 'dimension' and 'AI databases' and do not contain the specific measurements of the Kaaba.
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web search NEUTRAL — In its simplest form: a line describes one dimension, a plane describes two dimensions, and a cube describes three dimensions. (See Space and Cartesian coordinate system.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimension
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web search NEUTRAL — Scaled 2D drawings and 3D models available for download. Updated daily. A comprehensive reference database of dimensioned drawings documenting the standard measurements and sizes of the everyday objec…
https://www.dimensions.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — We provide the world’s largest collection of linked research data, accessible via our web platform and time-saving, workflow-based applications. The Dimensions database consists of vast amounts of lin…
https://www.dimensions.ai/
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“Prophet Muhammad... returned to Mecca around 630 CE, cleansing the Kaaba of its idols and restoring it to a place of monotheistic worship.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided search results are general definitions of the word 'prophet' and do not provide historical evidence regarding the cleansing of the Kaaba in 630 CE.
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web search NEUTRAL — The English word prophet is the transliteration of a compound Greek word derived from pro (before/toward) and phesein (to tell); thus, a προφήτης (prophḗtēs) is someone who conveys messages from the d…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophet
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web search NEUTRAL — May 16, 2026 · The meaning of PROPHET is one who utters divinely inspired revelations. How to use prophet in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prophet
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web search NEUTRAL — Jan 21, 2026 · In a general sense, a prophet is a person who speaks God’s truth to others. The English word prophet comes from the Greek word prophetes, which can mean “one who speaks forth” or “advoc…
https://www.gotquestions.org/prophet-Bible.html
info
“Mecca annually attracts more than 20 million Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provide general information about Mecca but do not mention the specific number of 20 million annual pilgrims.
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web search NEUTRAL — Mecca is considered the birthplace of Islam [5][6] and the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as being the holiest city in Islam. It is located 70 km (43 mi) inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea in a narr…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecca
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web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago · Mecca, city, western Saudi Arabia, located in the Ṣirāt Mountains, inland from the Red Sea coast. It is the holiest of Muslim cities. Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was born in Mecca, an…
https://www.britannica.com/place/Mecca
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web search NEUTRAL — Shop MECCA Australia's range of curated beauty, with makeup, skincare, fragrance, hair & body from 200+ brands. Plus, complimentary samples & free shipping on orders over $25.
https://www.mecca.com/en-au/
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“The Kaaba features a gold door on its northeastern side, standing more than two metres (six and a half feet) above the ground.”
CORROBORATED
Confirmed by both Al Jazeera and the 'Kaaba Door' search result, stating the door is on the northeastern side and stands more than two meters above the ground.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Kaaba has been repaired and reconstructed many times. The structure was severely damaged by a fire on 3 Rabi' I 64 AH (Sunday 31 October 683 CE), during the first siege of Mecca in 683 in the war …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaaba
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web search NEUTRAL — The Kaaba door is situated on the northeastern side of the Kaaba, just over 2 metres above the ground. Made of gold and silver, it is typically kept locked and opened three times a year to wash its in…
https://hajjumrahplanner.com/kaaba-door/
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web search NEUTRAL — The Kaaba features a gold door on its northeastern side, standing more than two metres (six and a half feet) above the ground. Containing 280kg (617 pounds) of pure gold, it measures three point one m…
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/5/25/whats-inside-th…
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“Containing 280kg (617 pounds) of pure gold, it measures three point one metres (10 feet) in height and 1.9m (six feet) in width.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific details (280kg gold, 3.1m height, 1.9m width) appear in the Al Jazeera source provided in the evidence for claim 7, but no other independent sources in the provided evidence confirm these specific measurements.
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“The door is typically opened twice a year for a ceremonial washing of the interior.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The 'Kaaba Door' search result mentions the door is opened three times a year (which contradicts the 'twice a year' claim), and no other sources are provided to verify the exact frequency of cleaning.
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“The Kaaba’s interior is modest, with three wooden pillars supporting the roof and a staircase leading to the roof.”
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“Marble lines the floors and walls while lanterns hang from the ceiling.”
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“The main element of the Kiswah is the black silk cloth that drapes the Kaaba... It is 14m (45 feet) high, and it’s made up of 47 different strips of cloth.”
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“About two-thirds of the way up the walls runs the embroidered hizam, a decorative belt measuring around 95cm (37 inches) wide and 47m (154 feet) long.”
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“Above the Kaaba’s door hangs a curtain known as the sitara or burqu’.”
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“Most agree that Yemeni King Tubba As’ad Kamil was the first person to cover the Kaaba in 400 CE with a special cloth from Yemen.”
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“Today, the Kiswah is made of natural silk.”
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“Early Kiswahs were typically made from other natural fibres such as linen, cotton and wool, while some historical sources also mention the use of leather and animal skins”
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“While Arabia was the centre of the early Islamic caliphate, the Kiswah was produced in Egypt... in Damietta”
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“Later Kiswahs were made in Syria, under the Umayyads in Damascus, and in Baghdad, under the Abbasids, as well as in Yemen.”
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“Today, the Kiswah is made from approximately 670kg (1,477 lbs) of natural silk, embroidered with around 120kg (265 lbs) of 24-carat gold thread and 100–120kg (220–265 lbs) of silver thread.”
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“More than 240 people at Mecca’s Kiswah factory are involved in producing the covering”
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“the silk, imported from Italy today”
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“the cost of producing it today is estimated to exceed 25 million Saudi riyals (about $6.65m).”
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“The Kiswah is embroidered with different Qur’anic verses and phrases, some of which include the Shahada”
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“The textile colours of the Kiswah have varied throughout history, with the colours used being white, green, yellow and black.”
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“The Kiswah is replaced once a year by a specialised team of workers”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.