Islamic Arts Biennale 2025

This Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 showcases Saudi Arabia’s role as the guardian of the holy cities of Mecca and Madina, offering a rich blend of history, spirituality, and contemporary artistic innovation. Aisha Zaman reports

Until 25 May, the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025 (IAB), titled ‘And All that Is in Between’, is taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the King Abdulaziz International Airport, a location of profound significance for pilgrims travelling to Mecca for Hajj. The biennale runs across five thematically curated exhibition halls and outdoor spaces, and offers unique insights into how faith is lived, expressed and celebrated.

The showstopper piece of the event is the Kiswah, the majestic black silk cloth embroidered with gold and silver that traditionally covers the Kaaba, exhibited in its entirety for the first time outside of Mecca. The Great Mosque of Mecca in Saudi Arabia is home to the sacred Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure that is the focal point of prayer for Muslims worldwide and is revered as Bayt Allah—the House of God. One of its most striking and revered aspects is the Kiswah, replaced annually. Its intricate design is not only a visual masterpiece but also a prime example of Islamic artistry.

The Kiswah is made of forty-seven pieces of fine silk, each measuring 98 centimetres by 14 metres. The outer layer is embroidered in gold and silver thread with sacred phrases. A significant element is the heavily embroidered curtain called ‘Sitara’ that covers the Kaaba door, adorned with a sentence of dedication, along with numerous embroidered Qur’anic verses and religious phrases.

The Kiswah is produced at the Kiswah Al Kaaba factory in Mecca, established in 1977 and owned by the Saudi Arabian government. The production process lasts a year. Once completed, it is transported to the Great Mosque, where each of the five pieces is carefully placed over the Kaaba. As the new Kiswah is draped, the old one is carefully removed, and the new pieces are sewn together to create a seamless, holy encasement.

The tradition of covering the Kaaba dates back to the pre-Islamic era. During this time, the people of Mecca would provide a cover made from leather and other materials, often through community fundraising efforts. During the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad, it was draped with burdah, a type of Yemeni curtain. Over time, silk replaced earlier fabrics. The colour of the Kiswah also shifted, with black eventually replacing green.

For many centuries, the Kiswah was produced in Egypt, but in 1927 King Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia decreed that production should be relocated to Mecca. In 1928, the first dedicated workshop was established in the city. The Kiswah continued to be produced in Egypt or Saudi Arabia, depending on political circumstances, until 1958, when it became a permanent fixture of Meccan craftsmanship.

Today, the creation of the Kiswah is a carefully orchestrated tradition that combines craftsmanship, religious devotion and the rich history of Islam. Each year, by covering the Kaaba, this sacred fabric preserves not only the beauty and spirituality of this revered structure but also the continuity of a tradition that has lasted for centuries. And with the Islamic Arts Biennale, everyone can witness its magnificence. Aisha Zaman