AN OTTOMAN METAL-THREAD CURTAIN OF THE HOLY KAABA DOOR (BURQA') WITH THE NAME OF ABDULHAMID II, DATED 1298AH/1880 AD

Of rectangular form, embroidered in silver and silver-gilt thread over a black silk ground, the surface broken into cartouches of various shapes and sizes containing inscriptions in naskh and thuluth, the interstices filled with vegetal designs, a large silver inscription halfway up on gilt wires embroidered ground, four cartouches above containing mirrored calligraphic inscriptions below three roundels, one drop-shaped and containing the name of the sultan and date in gilt thread on green ground, flanked by one with name of Allah and another with the name of Muhammad, each surrounded by radial inscription in silver thread, beneath the central one an opening with calligraphic border. 280 by 570 cm The present piece, the Burqa' ("Veil") would have covered the portal to the cuboid structure. It is richly ornamented in silver and silver-gilt thread with almost every surface covered in inscriptions and a has only a small slit in the lower edge to allow access to the doorway.

The inscriptions are as follows: At the top, the basmalla and surah al-ikhlas, flanked by two roundels both containing the words Allah rabbi (Allah is my Lord), in the middle of the row on a third roundel is written Allah Hasbi(sufficient unto me is Allah).

On the second tier, starting from the top right corner, the basmalla, followed by surah al-Fatiha, inscribed in consecutive parts that encircle the whole piece and the end at the upper left corner of the piece. The verses of surah al-Fatiha are separated by the words Allah rabbi and Allah hasbi inscribed in small roundels.

The body of the piece is then divided into rows. First row: surah al-naml, v.30 and surah al-israa, v.80. Second row: four panels each contain the basmalla, the left-half of each cartouche reflecting the right so the inscriptions read as symmetrical interlace designs.

Third row : divided into two narrow panels. On the right hand is the basmalla and the first part of ayat al-kursi (The Throne Verse) from surah al-Baqraa, On the left side is the second part of ayat al-kursi, the two separated by a small roundel inscribed with the words Allah hasbi .

Fourth row: a broad panel containing surah al-fath, v.27 in silver wires of large thuluth script on a gilt wires embroidered ground. The fifth row is also divided into two parts that contain the rest of ayat al-kursi, separated by a circle inscribed Allah hasbi

Sixth row: divided into three squares. On the right is a large roundel, in the centre of which is the word Allah, radiating the basmalla and surah al-ikhlas. This is balanced on the left side by a similar roundel, this time with the word Muhammad radiating kalimaat al-tawhid and v.32 from surah al-Twabah surat al-ikhlas. Between the two is a green drop-shaped cartouche, inscribed with the words "This cover was ordered by our lord, Sultan, the Conqueror, 'Abdul Hamid Khan, in the year 1298 AH".

Seventh row: two parts separated by the opening for the portal. On the right side is the basmalla and the first part of surah Quaraish, which continues on the left part. The eighth, ninth and tenth rows are similarly divided by the opening. Both sides of the eighth and ninth rows give the shahada , while the ninth row reads on the right "There is no God but Allah, The Supreme Power, The Lucid" and on the left side "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, The Truthful, The Faithful".