Headkeeper of the Keys of the Ka'ba, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Shaibi, has said that the display of historic Ka'ba artefacts at his house was only to document Islamic heritage and history, rather than to be open for visitors. Al-Shaibi is documenting the history of the Ka'ba as part of the responsibilities of the keeper of the keys with which the Al-Shaibi family was honored. The showcase, which was made available to visitors at the end of September, is kept in a room with an area of 30 meters, designed on the inside in the same way as the Ka'ba. On display were models of parts of the Ka'ba, such as parts of the inside walling that have fallen down, the Black Stone and the footprints of Prophet Abraham. A great number of bottles of rose and sandalwood used in the cleaning of the Ka'ba were on view, plus an ancient wooden column and a more than 1,200-year-old bottle that was found inside the Ka'ba. Old photographs of the Ka'ba and its keys had been made available by foreign museums, while an architectural plan of the building showed the interior columns and steps. The 370-member Al-Shaibi family of Makkah has been serving the Grand Mosque for the last 14 centuries. – Okaz __
