Saudi Kaaba cloth as a gift to Islamic summit

King Fahd of Saudi Arabia gave drapery from Islam's holiest shrine as a gift to an upcoming summit in Iran for the word's biggest Muslim organization, the official Iranian news agency (IRNA) said yesterday.

The richly embroidered cloth, which had covered the door of the club-shaped Kaaba shrine in Mecca in Saudi Arabia, was presented to Iran's representative at the Jeddah-based Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which groups more then 50 Muslim states.

"The drapery is to cover the area where the presiding board of the 8th OIC summit, slated for December, will be situated," Iran said.

Verses of the Koran, Islam's holy book, are embroidered on the drapery with gold and silver threads. Artists spent months crafting the eight- by four-meter cloth, which weighs about 100 KG, Al Akhbar daily said today.