Kaaba Door: Materials and History – No Gold Used

The door of the Kaaba in Mecca is not made of gold, contrary to common belief.

Current Door (since 1979/1400 AH)

• Material: Solid teak wood from India.
• Covering: Silver sheets (replaced in 1952/1372 AH under King Saud; updated in 1979/1400 AH under King Khalid).
• Decoration: Qur'anic verses and geometric patterns engraved on silver.
• Weight: ~300 kg (wood + silver).

Historical Notes

• Pre-Islamic and early Islamic doors: wood, sometimes covered with copper or silver.
• Ottoman era: several doors gifted by sultans.
• 1944/1363 AH: King Abdulaziz commissioned a teak door with silver.
• 1979/1400 AH: King Khalid commissioned current door (teak + silver).
• Gold has been used for the Kiswah (black cloth covering the Kaaba)—embroidered with gold/silver thread—but not for the door itself.

The door is opened twice a year for ceremonial cleaning by the custodian family, Bani Shaybah.