Curtain for the Minbar (Pulpit) of the Holy Sanctuary at Mecca on Legacy-collections Sphere from

Commissioned by King Faruq of Egypt, this is an exceptionally fine example of the high quality of embroidery produced by the craftsmen of Dar al-Kiswah in the mid 20th century. Very few of the curtains made for the Meccan minbar survive, and none of the known examples predate the early 20th century. This is probably one of the last ones made, as Egypt stopped sending curtains for the Meccan minbar around that time. The top panel is inscribed, ‘God Almightly said in his revered book’. The three lines below have sura al-Jumu‘a (LXII), verse 9, which appropriately mentions the call to prayer on Fridays. The last panel states that ‘This sitara for the minbar of the sacred House of God was ordered by him who depends on God, the king of Egypt Faruq I, mayGod grant him succor, in the year 1365’.