Jameel Gallery
Section of the Lining of the Ka'bah
Turkey, probably Bursa
About 1800
Silks with zigzag designs on a red ground were specially made to line the Ka'bah, the holy shrine in Mecca. The largest inscription is the Shahadah, the Islamic declaration of faith. The narrower band above it contains a quotation from the Qur'an. In it, God instructs Muslims to pray towards the Ka'bah. The other texts praise God.
Silk thread in lampas weave
Museum number 1063-1900
Given by Dudley B. Myers, Esq. [2006-2012]