Kaaba’s Kiswah raised as Hajj season begins

In a ceremony on Sunday, the holy Kiswah of the Kaaba was raised by three meters as an annual custom at the beginning of Hajj season.

Preparing the holy mosque for the 1443 Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi officials raised the Kiswah and covered the two-meter-wide white cotton cloth (Ihram) on all four sides.

The custom marks the beginning of the Hajj season each year while also acting as a precautionary measure to protect the Kiswah against the touches of pilgrims during tawaf.