Tezcan, Hülya. Sacred covers of Islam's holy shrines with samples from Topkapi Palace. Istanbul: Masa, 2017, 1st ed., 4to (33 x 25cm), 461 pp., colour illus., cloth, dust-wrapper, a heavy item. After Ottoman Sultan Selim i assumed the role of ‘Khadim al-Haramayn’ (Servant of the Two Sacred Cities), the Ottoman Empire rendered innumerable services to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. As part of this protection and maintenance, the Ottoman state regularly updated the covers, curtains, and belts that project the Ka’aba. The old covers, curtains, and belts were considered sacred and meticulously preserved. They are now part of the collection at Topkapı Palace, and this catalogue explores these items in depth, expanding on the 1996 Arabic publication by Tezcan on the sacred embroideries.