MAKKAH: The Kaaba was dressed in its new kiswa (the black cloth cover) early Thursday during a ceremony attended by officials from the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs, the kiswa factory and a number of Saudi and foreign residents of the holy city.

The new cover was pulled up about three meters above the ground so that pilgrims cannot reach the fabric.

The dress, prepared in a special factory built in Makkah by King Abdulaziz more than 70 years ago, is made of pure silk which is dyed black and stitched with gold and silver threads at a cost of SR20 million ($5 million).

The Kaaba is dressed twice every year during the months of Shaaban (the month before Ramadan) and Dhul Hijja, the month of pilgrimage. It is also washed twice every year from inside by Zamzam water and perfumed with oud.

The dress is 658 square meters in size and consists of 47 pieces each 14 meters long and 95 centimeters wide, is made with 670 kilograms of silk and 150 kg of gold and silver used to engrave Qur’anic verses on the cloth.

It also includes a special dress for the Kaaba door known as the burqa (face cover) that is 6.5 meters long and three meters wide with verses of Qur’an engraved on it.