Ghilaf-e-Kaaba changed

The annual ceremony to change Ghilaf-e-Kaaba held on Wednesday morning at Masjid-e-Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque) in Saudi Arabia where millions of Muslims have gathered to perform Hajj. The covering cloth of the Kaaba, known as Kiswa, is changed on 9th Zilhaj every year after Fajr prayer on the day of Arafat that is main pillar of the Hajj. The new cover has been prepared with estimated 150 kg pure gold and 670 kg silk fiber. The cover, inscribed with verses from the Holy Quran, is prepared by over 200 weaving experts in Dar-ul-Kiswa factory with the cost of 20 million Saudi riyals. The old Ghilaf, that covers four walls and the door of Kaaba, is torn into pieces and gifted to foreign dignitaries after the changing ceremony. Size of the Ghilaf is 657 square metre (14 metre high) and it is comprised of 47 pieces.