The Holy Ka'ba, The Hoe of God (Bayt Allah) in the middle of the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) in Mecca is covered with a new kiswa each year on the 10th Dhul Hijja, coinciding with the Hajj. A tradition dating back to pre-Islamic times, its essential form and function has remained constant, though over the centuries much has changed in its detail and execution. In the time of the Prophet Muhammad and through to early 'Abbasid times it consisted simply of a plain white cloth. Nasr 'Abbasi 1160-1207 changed this to green and later to black, and from then on the tradition of ing a black kiswa became fixed. The embroidered border, now so characteristic of the Kiswah, was only introduced in 1340 AD by the Bahri Mamluk ruler of Cairo, Sultan Hassan. Throughout Mamluk times (7th-10th centuries AHH 13-16th centuries AD) it was made in workshops in Egypt, from whence it was carried on one of the major routes to Mecca. The following year, this cover was taken down, cut into pieces and its epigraphic panels either kept by the Sultan or given as gifts to the elite. After the conquest of Cairo in AH 923/1517 AD, the Ottoman Sultan, as Caliph, had the honour of dressing the Ka'ba, and it continued to be made in Egypt up to the early 14th century AH/20th century AD. The fragments that are cut from the outgoing kiswa, especially the important ones such as the Burqa' which covers the portal or the Hizam (the strap border that almost encircles the square building about two thirds of the way up), are kept as prized relics.  Since in Ottoman times they were mainly given to Ottoman courtiers or kept in the possession of the Sultan, understandably the Topkapi Sarayi in Istanbul retains the greatest collection of Ottoman-period kiswa fragments. The present collectionprises the only pieces surely dateable to the Ottoman period that have been offered for sale at auction. Some, such as this one, are also by far the largest and most important. They also probablyprise the mostplete group of such Ottoman curtains outside the Topkapi Palace. The present piece, the Burqa' ("Veil") would have covered the portal to the cuboid structure. It is richly ornamented in silver and silver-gilt thread with almost every surface covered in inscriptions and a has only a small slit in the lower edge to allow access to the doorway. The inscriptions are as follows: At the top, the basmalla and Qur'an CXII surat al-ikhlas, flanked by two roundels both containing the words Allah rabbi (Allah is my Lord), in the middle of the row on a third roundel is written Allah Hasbi(sufficient unto me is Allah). On the second tier, starting from the top right corner, the basmalla, followed by Qur'an I surat al-fatiha, inscribed in consecutive parts that encircle the whole piece and the end at the upper left corner of the piece.  The verses of surat al-fatiha are separated by the words Allah rabbi and Allah hasbi inscribed in small roundels. The body of the piece is then divided into rows. F