This item has been added to the Database within the Explore Islamic Art Collections project. Information is available in: English, Arabic.

Name of Object:

Kiswah Belt

Location:

Shahaniya, Qatar

Holding Museum:

FBQ Museum

About FBQ Museum, Shahaniya

Current Owner:

Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani

Date of Object:

19th century

Museum Inventory Number:

FBQ.HH.742

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Silk, cotton, gold, silver; embroidery

Dimensions:

Length: 648cm, Width: 91.5cm

Period / Dynasty:

Ottoman

Place of production:

Egypt

Provenance:

Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Description:

Religious leaders in the Muslim world would commission the crafting of the Kiswah - the cover of the Kaaba - including key components such this belt embellished in gold and silver thread. Craftsmen embroider Qur’anic verses and words of protective value to provide a generous offering to the house of God. This belt was manufactured in Egypt.

Once a new veil is bestowed upon the cubic building, the previous cover is broken up beneath the new Kiswah and donated to individuals and institutions such as museums to honor the yearly tradition.

How date and origin were established:

The date and origin were established in a comparison of colour and calligraphy of other Kiswas.

How Object was obtained:

Gift

How provenance was established:

The Kiswa covers the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Selected bibliography:

Alashari, D. M., Hamzah, A. R., and Marni, N., "The Aesthetics and Greatness of the Kiswah of the Kaaba in the Saudi Era", Umran-International Journal of Islamic and Civilizational Studies, 8 : 1 (2021).
Alhazmi, N. H., Maintenance as Spectacle: Imagery of the Ka’ba’s Cleaning and Kiswa, Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2021.

Citation of this web page:

Sarah Schroeder "Kiswah Belt" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum With No Frontiers, 2026.
https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;qt;Mus22;16;en

Prepared by: Sarah Schroeder
Copyedited by: Valerie Pulsifer

MWNF Working Number: QT2 16