Take steps to save remaining Islamic cultural heritage: OIC

Arab News

November 6, 2017

Riyadh, Nov 6: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) recently called on member countries for urgent action and appropriate ways of protecting the remaining Islamic cultural heritage against loss and neglect.

OIC Secretary-General Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen made the call during an international conference on “Islamic Action for the Protection of Cultural Heritage” held in Istanbul, Turkey, November 1-2.

In his address, delivered by Mehla Ahmed Talebna, OIC general director of cultural, social and family affairs, Al-Othaimeen also called for adapting these ways through international initiatives and mechanisms for cultural heritage preservation as a whole, and to save and restore endangered heritage in Islamic countries.

He called on participants to develop cultural policies and plans on cultural heritage protection for adoption at the 10th Conference of Ministers of Culture to be organized by the Islamic, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) in Khartoum, Sudan, on November 21-23.

He stressed that the OIC has committed itself to being a stronghold and protector Islamic cultural heritage and identity and accord the highest priority to the protection of cultural heritage in holy places.

Al-Othaimeen pointed out that the preservation, protection and enrichment of cultural heritage will contribute to countering the distortion of the image of Islam.

For her part, Talebna said that the International Conference on Cultural Heritage in the Muslim world was initiated by the general secretariat of the OIC and adopted by the 9th Islamic Conference of Cultural Ministers organized by ISESCO in Muscat, Oman.

She said the conference aimed to contribute to safeguarding the cultural identity and memory of the Islamic civilization in terms of historical knowledge, ancient sciences, universal values, traditional architectural knowhow, traditions, among others.

“We need to move urgently with the aim of saving our rich cultural heritage,” she said.

The conference was organized by the Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture in cooperation with the OIC General Secretariat and ISECO.

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Holy Kaaba dons new Kiswa woven with 120 kg gold and 100 kg silver threads

Agencies

July 30,2020

Makkah, July 30: Like every year, the Kiswa (black cloth) of holy Kaaba was replaced on Wednesday night, a process administered by the staff of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques in accordance with the annual tradition, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al-Mansouri, deputy head of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques and director-general of the King Abdul Aziz Complex for the Kaaba, said in a statement that the Holy Kaaba was donned with a new Kiswa, constituted of four sides and a sitar (curtain) for the door.

Each of the four parts of the Kiswa was separately raised, in preparation for stretching it on the old side. The side was consolidated from above by tying it and dropping at the other end after the old side’s ropes were untied by moving the new side up and down.

Then, the old side was removed from the bottom and the new side remained, and the process was repeated four times for each section until the operation was complete and the belt was sewn in a line, straight with the four sides, Al-Mansouri said.

Al-Mansouri added: “The process began from the side of the Hateem (a semi-circular wall opposite the northwest wall of the Kaaba), because Al-Mizab (a rainwater spout made of gold) requires a special opening at the top. After consolidating all the sides, the corners were fixed by sewing them from the top of the cloth to the bottom.

Then, the curtain that required more time and hard work was installed by making a small opening with an approximate width of 3.30 meters. Three other holes were made in the black cloth to put the curtain in place under the cloth, and the sides were sewn in the black cloth of the dress, Al-Mansouri said, adding that the Kaaba cloth is made of 670 kg of high-quality silk, 120 kg of gold threads, and 100 kg of silver threads.

As many as 200 Saudi craftsmen are engaged in producing the black curtain at the King Abdul Aziz Complex for Holy Kaaba Kiswa, Al-Mansouri said.

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