If you’re lucky enough to perform Hajj or Umrah, take back a piece of your joy to your loved ones at home. Any gift or souvenir from Makkah is priceless – but some are more special than others. What gifts and Hajj souvenirs should you buy for your friends and family during your stay in Makkah?

Umrah and Hajj souvenirs

Prayer mats, prayer beads, Holy Qurans and bottles of Zamzam water are easy to find in Makkah, particularly around the Grand Mosque and Abraj Al Bait. Don’t forget practicalities, though. Instead of a large, bulky prayer mat, for example, look out for a light, soft mat made from cashmere.

Zamzam water is hard to transport by plane, although some airlines allow transportation of up to 5 litres with special packaging. It’s best to find out the rules in advance.

Prayer beads (misbaha) are a wonderful gift and easy to transport, but take time to choose them carefully. The quality of the beads varies from cheap plastic up to sparkling crystal costing hundreds of riyals.

Local gold & handmade clothing

Gold in Makkah is known for its high quality and value, with much of the jewelry made from 21-carat gold in Jeddah. You may prefer gold pieces – necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets and more – with local designs rather than those imported from India.

Your family will also love traditional clothing items such as thawbs or thobes (men’s white robes), abayas (long cloaks for ladies) and hijabs (headscarves). If you’re in a hurry, you can find high-quality ready-made clothes of all types in Makkah’s many shopping malls.

If you have more time, consider visiting one of Makkah’s skilled tailors around market areas like Souk al Otaibiah, who can make special custom-made items with the cloth of your choice.

The smell of Makkah: oud perfume & incense

Everyone loves perfume oils (attar) and incense. Real oud perfume, made from the wood of the tropical agar tree, is one of the most expensive in the world – so if you’re offered oud perfume at a cheap price, it’s sure to be a fake.

Natural toothbrushes known as miswaak make a small, easy-to-carry gift if you’re traveling with hand luggage.

Ajwa dates & other special treats

Be careful when buying food items as gifts, as some foods such as dates and fruit may be confiscated by customs when returning to your country. If that’s not an issue for you, buy some ajwa dates, which are grown in Madinah and were said to be favored by the Prophet (PBUH).

You can find plenty of other foods suitable for gifts, such as dried fruits, spices and chocolates, in the shops around the Grand Mosque.

Made your shopping list?

Now check out our article recommending the best places to shop in Makkah.

Shop for souvenirs at Abraj Al Bait Mall

High-quality gold jewelry from Makkah is a wonderful gift

Your pilgrimage is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so don’t ruin it by forgetting an essential item! To help you pack for your Hajj or Umrah experience, here is a quick guide of things you’ll need.

Clothes for traveling and ihram

Take enough clothes for the length of your journey, bearing in mind that you may need to change several times in one day. The weather in Makkah is extremely hot and the rituals often require great physical exertion. Loose clothes are recommended.

Be sure to pack your ihram clothing in your hand luggage, along with pins to fasten it. Again, you may need to change your ihram clothes if they become dirty or torn. A small bag to hang around your neck will be useful for storing your money, phone and documents.

Stay clean and healthy

Cleanliness is extremely important, so carry enough wash towels for the duration of your stay in Makkah. Check you have your toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb and nail clippers. Remember, antiperspirant should not contain perfume. Women should take a small pair of scissors to cut off some hair after leaving the state of ihram.

It is a good idea to take simple medicines such as painkillers and tablets for stomach problems and colds. A small first aid kit is useful and sunscreen is extremely important.

If you have a specific condition such as diabetes or a heart problem, pack a sufficient supply of medicine, along with any devices you use to measure blood pressure and sugar.

Don’t forget your documents!

When your mind is focused on the spiritual side of the pilgrimage, it’s easy to forget important documents: passport, flight tickets, flight schedule, hotel address in Makkah or Madinah, etc.

Last-minute items that are often forgotten include your phone and charger, glasses and contact lenses, sunglasses and a small notebook. Of course, remember to pack a Koran and a booklet of the adhkaar (invocations), plus a guide to Hajj or a guide to Umrah.

It’s a good idea to take sandwiches or other snacks with you in case of a flight delay. Carry anything essential in your hand luggage in case your suitcase is lost or delayed.

How to change into ihram on the plane

Remember that you have to enter ihram before entering the miqat area, even in the air. If you are traveling in normal clothes, keep your ihram clothes in your hand luggage and check at what time you will enter the miqat zone. Plan to change into your ihram clothes at least half an hour before this.

If you forget something…

If you are staying at a 5-star hotel in Makkah and realize you have forgotten something, please ask at reception. With their local knowledge and experience, the staff will help you find a replacement.

Pack carefully to enjoy stress-free travel to Makkah

Carry valuable items with you in your hand luggage

Discover some amazing facts about the Kiswa, the black silk cloth embroidered with Quranic verses that covers the Kaaba in Makkah. Why is it so special?

Brief history of the Kiswa

Since the time of The Prophet Ismael (PBUH), one of the most important aspects of venerating the Holy Kaaba has been the Kiswa. Most stories indicate that the first person to cover the Kaaba was the King of Yemen, Tubba Abu Karab of Himyar.

Tubba’s successors considered the Kaaba’s cover to be a religious duty. When the Kiswa became worn out or damaged, it was replaced and the old one was cut into small pieces and buried.

Where is the Kiswa made?

At first, the kings of Egypt and Yemen took turns producing the Kaaba cover. Then Egypt took over completely, until political disputes caused Egypt to stop sending covers. Kaaba covers are now produced in Makkah.

Learn how to visit the Kiswa Factory in Makkah.

Amazing facts about the Kiswa

• It is made of 670 kg of black silk.
• An estimated 220 kg of gold and silver thread is needed to embroider its Quranic verses.
• It covers 658 sqm.
• It currently takes 137 workers around 8 months to create the Kiswa. More sophisticated machinery is speeding up the embroidery process.
• Cost estimates vary, but it is valued at around 22 million SAR, around 6 million USD.
• The Kaaba cover is replaced annually on the Day of Arafah, the ninth day of the Hajj month of Dhu al-Hijjah.

The Kiswa is richly embroidered with Quranic verses

Have you ever wondered what the Black Stone is and where it comes from? An Islamic relic in the wall of the Kaaba, pilgrims often touch and kiss it as part of the tawaf ritual. Here is a short insight into this precious stone:

Set in an oval silver frame in the southeastern corner of the Kaaba, the Black Stone is where a pilgrim’s tawaf begins and ends. As they circle the Kaaba, pilgrims kiss, touch or point towards it, following the example of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

Origins of the Black Stone

The Black Stone, set into the wall about 1.5 metres off the ground, is no longer whole but broken into several fragments of black rock. They are shiny, worn down by hundreds of years of being touched and kissed by pilgrims.

The stone derives is importance and value in Islam to its origins as a stone from heaven. There are different stories about how it appeared and was placed in the wall of the Kaaba.

The Black Stone throughout history

Why is the Black Stone not whole? It has had a tumultuous history, with many attempts at theft or removal. It was damaged during the Siege of Mecca in 683 AD, during which the Kaaba was badly burned by the Umayyad army.

Kissing the Black Stone

When circling the Kaaba as part of the tawaf, you can try to touch the stone with your hand and kiss it. If you can’t reach it, you can point at it or kiss something else which has touched the stone.

As the cornerstone of the Kaaba, the Black Stone is the most venerated stone on the face of the earth. Muslims wish to kiss it because the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) did so. However, keep in mind that the Black Stone is simply a stone. It is symbolic like a country’s flag is symbolic: something to respect and take pride in. Kissing it is not an obligation but a demonstration of love, just as you would kiss one of your children.

As the Second Khalifa of the Muslims, Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) is quoted as saying:

I know that you are a stone, you do not cause benefit or harm; and if it were not that I had seen Allah’s Messenger – peace and blessings of Allah be upon him – kiss you, I would never have kissed you.

Learn more

To learn more about the tawaf and other rituals, see our step-by-step guide to Hajj or guide to Umrah.

The Black Stone is protected by a silver frame

Set in the southeast corner of the Kaaba, the Black Stone is venerated by Muslims