كسوة الكعبة في العصر المملوكي

حظيت مصر بشرف صناعة الكسكة الشريفة على مر العصور، منذ العصر الجاهلي، و على اختلاف المراحل التاريخية العربية و الإسلامية، نتيجة لشهرتها بهذه الصناعة، إلا أن هذه الكسوة شكلت رمزا سياسيا و عسكريا و حضاريا، فهي رمز من رموز السيادة على العالمين العربي و الإسلامي، و هذا ما سعى إليه سلاطين الدولة المملوكية منذ اللحظات الأولى لاعتلائهم سدة الحكم في مصر، فحافظوا و نازعوا القوى المختلفة في سبيل القبض على هذا الشرف الديني المغلف بالسيادة السياسية و العسكرية و الحضارية.

Throughout the ages, Egypt had the honour of being the country where the Kiswa (the embroidered black cloth covering the Kaaba) had been manufactured. The Kiswa had been made in Egypt – renowned for manufacturing such a textile - from the Pre-Islamic Age down to the Islamic Age and throughout the successive Arabic and Islamic historical stages. The Kiswa was looked at as a political, military, and civilizational emblem for it was an emblem of sovereignty in both the Arab and Islamic Worlds. The Mamluki sultans had endeavored to achieve such a status since the very beginning of their being in power and the rulers of Egypt. The Mamluki sultans had maintained the hounor of having this dignified religious emblem and they were involved in conflicts with other powers just to maintain their patronage of this holy emblem which denotes political, military, and cultural sovereignty.