ABSTRACT
The emblem of Mecca, and the spiritual focus of Islam, is the Ka`ba, the cuboid edifice at the centre of the Masjid al-Haram (the Holy Sanctuary). Each day Muslims around the world turn to its direction (qibla) to pray, and once a year millions of pilgrims descend on the holy city to perform the pilgrimage known as Hajj. The Ka`ba’s silk covers, which enshroud the cube, are annually replaced. The previous years’ covers are then cut into pieces and presented as gifts to dignitaries or acquired by pilgrims as souvenirs (Porter 2015). However, one cover from the Ka`ba’s door (the sitara), made in 2003, underwent a different fate. This textile travelled in one piece to London for the British Museum’s 2012 exhibition on Hajj. 1 Away from the sacred setting of Mecca, the sitara was exhibited to new people, spaces and interpretations. It performed different functions: evoking memories, stimulating imaginations and prompting questions and discussions.
