|
|
 |
 The Sitara |
|
The sitara is the curtain that covers the door of the Ka'bah. It is lavishly embroidered with a complex pattern of panels, roundels and other
devices inscribed with quotations and prayers from the Qur'an.
Along with the rest of the Ka'bah's external coverings, the sitara is replaced every year before the Hajj. For many centuries the textiles
that covered the Ka'bah were made in Egypt and carried in procession to Mecca. This custom was associated with the status of the rulers of
Egypt who both governed the Hijaz, the region where Makkah (Mecca) lies, and held the title of Servant of the Two Noble Sanctuaries.
In 1924 King 'Abd al-'Aziz of the Al Sa'ud dynasty transferred the production of textiles associated with the Ka'bah to Makkah. This sitara was
made under the patronage of King Fahd, who came to the throne in 1985.
|
|
|
