The Kiswa is a great cloth that covers the Kaaba, the sacred stone building at the center of the Great Mosque in Makkah (or Mecca), that is considered to be the physical center of Islam and is called “the House of God.” Every year the Kiswa is removed and the Kaaba is redraped in a new cloth on the 9th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijah, the day the pilgrims leave for the plains of Mount Arafat during the Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah.   
 
The old Kiswa, after it’s been removed, is cut into small pieces and given to certain individuals, dignitaries, museums and organizations. The part of the Kiswa on display at the UN is the curtain that covers the door of the Holy Kaaba and was a gift from Saudi Arabia. It is made of pure white silk that has been dyed black and embroidered with verses from the Koran in gold and silver threads. It is handcrafted by professional artisans in a special workshop in the city of Makkah.  
 
It is bordered on either side by full-length drapes of the same green as the Saudi flag. The curtain covers almost the full height of the wall and is a superb piece of Islamic decorative art. 

The Kiswa was presented by Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, His Excellency Shaikh Faisal al-Hujaylan, on January 18th, 1983 and accepted on behalf of the United Nations by Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar. Saudi Arabia is one of the original founders of the UN and presented the curtain as a reaffirmation of its commitment to the principles of the organization.