Curtain for the Door of the Ka‘bah

Location: Cairo, Egypt; commissioned by Sultan Abdulmajid I

Materials: black silk, with coloured silk appliqués, heavily relief-embroidered in silver and silver-gilt wire over cotton thread padding

Dimensions: 532 x 278cm

Accession Number: TXT 330

Script:

The curtain, which was made to the order of the Ottoman Sultan Abdulmajid I, was presented to the Ka‘bah by Muhammad Sa‘id Pasha, who became governor of Egypt in AH 1270, that is no more than one year before the date on this curtain, and may therefore be the first one under his governorship. If this is the case, it may explain the extensive embroidery on it.