The Kiswa factory in Makkah: what it is and how visits work

What the Kiswa complex is

The Kiswa is the cloth that covers the Kaaba. Discover Makkah, the official Makkah destination site, says that at the complex the finest pure silk is dyed black and embroidered with Quranic verses and Islamic motifs in gold and silver thread.

The complex has several departments. According to Discover Makkah:

• Weaving. Skilled workers weave natural silk with traditional manual methods and modern mechanical ones.
• Printing and embroidery. The gold and silver calligraphy is applied here.
• Laboratories. They test raw materials for quality and durability.
• Historic Kiswas. A section keeps old Kiswas, so that visitors can see how the covering has looked in the past.

Visitors can watch the work and view models of the designs. It is a place of craft and history rather than a place of worship, and there is no ziyarat ritual attached to it.

Where it is

Discover Makkah gives the distance as 10 km from the Haram. That is too far to walk, so you need a car. The drive time depends on your hotel and on traffic, which changes a lot around prayer times.

How visits work

Discover Makkah states that coordination and prior reservation are required before visiting. That means you cannot simply arrive and walk in.

Do not rely on the hours above for a particular date. They can change, and they change around Ramadan, Hajj and public holidays.

What this means in practice:

1. Book first. Reserve through the official channel, not by turning up.
2. Plan a weekday morning. The published window is short, so the morning of a weekday is the realistic time.
3. Tell us the time. We plan the drive so you arrive in time for your slot.

We do not make the reservation for you, and we cannot guarantee a slot. We only drive you there and back.

Practical notes

• Bring your booking proof. Have the confirmation ready on your phone.
• Dress modestly. It is a working complex with visitors from many countries.
• Photography. Ask the staff before taking photos inside.
• Mobility. A folding wheelchair travels in the Staria or Hiace boot at no extra charge, and the driver helps the passenger into a seat. Tell us before booking if the passenger cannot leave the wheelchair.

Which of our tours includes the Kiswa complex

Neither the two hour nor the four hour Makkah ziyarat includes it as a standard stop, because a reservation is needed and the visiting window is short. It can be added to the four hour full ziyarat on request, on a weekday morning.

Fares are for the whole vehicle, return included, and are for the tours as published. If a Kiswa visit needs more waiting time than the tour allows, the extra time is charged at the hourly rate from SAR 80. See Makkah ziyarat, the ziyarat hub and every published fare.