Abu Dhabi, 02nd October 2011: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), a top-tier Islamic financial services group, announced today that the historic, 200-year old Kiswah (covering of "Ka'aba") that was on display at Emirates Palace Hotel has now been moved to ADIB Headquarters at Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi. The move is in response to the huge demand from ADIB customers and the UAE community who did not get an opportunity to view it earlier.
The Kiswah is open to public viewing till 12th November 2011 from 08:30 am till 03:30 pm. Videos depicting a Kiswah’s journey from its original thought to its completion can be viewed at the same venue or by visiting ADIB social media channels on Youtube, Facebook.
Tirad Mahmoud, CEO of ADIB, said: "We have acted upon the demand of the UAE community and our customers who wanted the Kiswah to be on display for a longer period as the Hajj season is upon us. As some of our community will go on Hajj soon, the Kiswah viewing presents an ideal beginning to their journey. The large numbers who turned up to view the Kiswah during the Holy Month of Ramadan demonstrated the fact that the people of the UAE are keen to reinforce their cultural identity. It is a great honour for us to be able to extend the Kiswah’s stay in the UAE. It will play an important role in educating our community about Islamic art that is part of our culture."
The Kiswah is considered among the most sacred of Islamic artefacts and guards the final destination for all Muslim pilgrims making the journey of faith to Mecca for the Hajj.
The displayed Kiswah was commissioned by Sultan Selim III (1789-1807 AD), in the Hijri year 1219 (1804-05 AD), and is historically important as it is the last Kiswah to be produced in the colourful and rich design of the imperial Ottoman Turks before a conservative style was adopted.