By Sadiq Abdulfatah

Representing the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Deputy Emir of Makkah, Prince Saud bin Mishaal, on Tuesday presided over the annual washing of the Holy Kaaba, held on 15 Muharram.

The ceremony began after Prince Saud entered the Kaaba, where he washed its interior with Zamzam water blended with rose water and premium oud fragrance. He also wiped the inner walls using cloths soaked in the fragrant mixture specially prepared by the General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.

A number of senior government officials, Islamic diplomats accredited to Saudi Arabia and the caretakers of the Holy Kaaba attended the event. Among them were Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Adviser at the Royal Court and Supervisor-General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa, Grand Mosque Imam Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid, and President of the General Authority, Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais.

According to the authority, the annual ritual followed three stages: preparation, washing, and perfuming the Kaaba with incense. The preparations involved 15 litres of Zamzam water, 15 litres of rose water, 15 litres of rose oil and 100 millilitres of oud oil.

It said every stage was carefully planned and executed to reflect the honour and sacred status of the House of Allah, with all materials prepared in advance using the highest operational standards.

The first part of the ceremony began early on Tuesday with the raising of the Kaaba’s door curtain before the washing commenced. The interior floor was first swept clean, after which the walls, floor and the three pillars inside the Kaaba were washed using cloths dipped in the Zamzam and fragrance mixture.

The interior was then dried with specially designed cloths before the walls were perfumed with modern equipment to ensure the fragrance reached every part of the Kaaba.

The authority said the honour of washing and caring for the Holy Kaaba has continued from the era of Abdulaziz Ibn Saud through the reign of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

It added that specialised technical, operational and support teams were fully mobilised to ensure the sacred ceremony was conducted smoothly and in a manner befitting Islam’s holiest site.

Source: Saudi Gazette