Egypt’s Dar al-Kiswah — a monument turned into a dump
After Egypt stopped producing the Kaaba’s kiswah in 1961, the centuries-old site of production now lies in a state of utter neglect amid calls for renovation by nearby residents and experts.
CAIRO — Times have changed, and a place that Egyptians have long taken pride in is now victim to negligence, only containing some old equipment and garbage. The 200-year-old Dar al-Kiswah, which for over a century and a half boasted the honor of producing the kiswah — the traditional cloth covering the Kaaba in Mecca that is replaced annually during the hajj — has now turned into a storage space for the Egyptian Ministry of Endowments.
The historically and spiritually significant Dar al-Kiswah is located in one of Cairo’s narrow streets — al-Khoronfesh street in al-Gamaleya neighborhood. Recognized only by nearby residents, the place’s features have been obliterated and a sign with the name “Dar al-Kiswah al-Sharifa” (House of the holy Kiswah) now hangs on a steel gate that replaced the historic wooden one.
Ali al-Dumyati, 72, the owner of one of the shops facing the Dar al-Kiswah building, told Al-Monitor, “I was a young man when the kiswah used to come out of that ancient building amid celebrations, before being paraded across Egypt’s old neighborhoods, starting from al-Khoronfesh, crossing Fatimid Muizz street, then al-Hussein neighborhood. After that, the parade would head to Suez province where the kiswah would be transported aboard a ship to the holy lands.”
“We took pride in being the makers of the kiswah, wishing Egypt would continue to send it to Saudi Arabia,” he added.
