Ahmed Othman embroiders a piece of black fabric in one of the alleys of Khan El-Khalili in the heart of Cairo, meticulously stitching the letters of a Quranic verse with golden threads—just like his ancestors, who crafted the Kiswa (cover) of the Kaaba for a hundred years.

A century ago, the artistic creations of the Othman family were sent to Mecca in a grand procession carrying the Kiswa of the Kaaba.
Today, in his shop in one of the alleys of Khan El-Khalili, Othman (51 years old), like the rest of his fellow artisans, struggles with the rising cost of raw materials, the significant decline in tourism, the deteriorating purchasing power of Egyptians, and the reluctance of young people to learn any craft due to the higher income offered by other professions.

In 1924, Othman’s grandfather received the great honor—one highly cherished by artisans like him—of preparing the Kaaba’s Kiswa, which is embroidered with gold or silver threads and changed every year during the Hajj season.

Othman recalls that preparing the Kiswa of the Kaaba "was a sacred ritual."

He adds, "Year after year, ten craftsmen would embroider the Kiswa with very fine silver threads, making it so intricate that embroidering just 10 to 20 centimeters would take an entire day."

For many years, the Kiswa of the Kaaba was presented as a gift by different Islamic countries seeking the honor of preparing this covering, which spans 658 square meters and is embroidered with precious stones as well.

Starting from the 13th century, Egyptian craftsmen took on the responsibility of preparing and embroidering the Kiswa, after which the authorities would organize its journey to Mecca.

The procession, accompanied by guards and religious figures, was received with great celebration along its route, as joyful Egyptians would sprinkle it with rose water from their balconies.

However, starting in 1927, the preparation of the Kaaba’s Kiswa gradually moved to Mecca, and since 1962, it has been produced entirely there.

The Othman family has primarily specialized in "embroidering Quranic verses onto textiles" as well as producing replicas of the Kiswa, Othman explains to Agence France-Presse.

"Today, most of our customers want a replica of the Kiswa," he says.

The price of a small piece of a Kiswa replica starts at 100 Egyptian pounds (5.3 dollars), but some products can sell for thousands of dollars—such as the imitation versions of the Kaaba’s door, which Othman proudly asserts are indistinguishable from the original ones in Mecca.

A Legacy for the Future

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Othman has not been selling more than "two pieces a month," whereas before, he used to sell one piece every day.

Even though some tourists have returned to Khan El-Khalili, they are, according to Othman, more cautious with their money than before, as no one knows what the future holds amid a global pandemic and a war in Ukraine.

Despite this, Othman remains committed to preserving his family’s heritage in his workshop, where dark fabrics illuminated by golden-embroidered Quranic verses are scattered around.

For more than a century, generations have inherited the art of taqsib—a technique derived from qasab (a type of thread used to fill the gaps between silver and gold embroidery).

Amid his workers, who hunch over their embroidery work, Othman—who learned his ancestors’ craft as a child when he used to skip school to watch his father at work—emphasizes his dedication to preserving the trade by faithfully passing down its secrets.

However, finding young people willing to work with him is difficult. Many prefer jobs that allow them to earn 10 to 15 dollars by driving a tuk-tuk or a minibus—Cairo’s primary modes of transportation for its 25 million residents—rather than enduring the physical strain of embroidery work.

Othman affirms that today, only around ten "genuine" embroiderers remain.

Nevertheless, he is determined to safeguard this heritage in Egypt, where his great-grandfather decided to settle and practice embroidery after leaving his birthplace in Turkey a century and a half ago.

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