Nigeria, June 17 -- Saudi Arabia has completed the annual replacement of the Holy Kaaba's Kiswa, the ornate black silk covering that adorns Islam's most sacred site in Makkah in a centuries-old tradition that the Kingdom describes as a symbol of its custodianship of the Two Holy Mosques.

The exercise, coordinated by the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque through the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Holy Kaaba Kiswa, involves a meticulous multi-stage process combining traditional Islamic craftsmanship with modern manufacturing technology.

Preparatory work included the removal of gold-embroidered ornaments, decorative lamps, and other embellishments from the existing Kiswa, as well as ...