MANAMA – A broker is asking for SR 8 million to sell a piece of cloth heclaims comes from the Kiswah—the embroidered black and gold cloth coveringthe Kaaba.

The broker did not say who was selling the piece of cloth, but added thatit was old and belonged to Al Sheebi, the family looking after the Kaabasince pre-Islam times, Gulf News has reported.

He insisted that the rare item was authentic and that he had an officiallicence from the Emirate of Makkah Province to sell it.

However, Abdul Malik Al Sheebi, a senior caretaker of the Kaaba, denied theclaim and said that his family did not own a piece of the Kiswah, the silkand cotton cloth, Saudi daily Makkah reported on Sunday.

“Many people claim they have an authentic piece of the Kiswah and use myfamily’s name to gain the trust and confidence of those willing to buy it,”he said. “However, the pieces they put out for sale are often imitationsmade in India or Egypt. The original Kiswah belongs to the state and ispreserved in special stores.”

Sultan Al Dossari, a spokesperson for the Emirate of Makkah, said they didnot grant licences or permits to sell any part of the Kiswah.