The Custody of the Holy Land is multiplying its efforts to expand and promote the Terra Sancta Museum, a museum that has always contributed to preserving the cultural and historical heritage of the Holy Land as well as strengthening the local Christian identity. Br STÉPHANE MILOVITCH, ofm Director of the Cultural Heritage Office of the Custody of the Holy Land "We are planning to open the second section of the Terra Sancta Museum which will be divided into two parts, two different areas according to the Christian presence in the Holy Land. The first, the Christian presence through pilgrims, which is very important. The second the local presence is that of Christians living in the Holy Land. So there will be rooms dedicated to handicrafts made of mother-of-pearl, which is very important in Palestine, and others to clothing and jewellery, which are very important in Palestinian wedding traditions." Thanks to recent studies conducted by researcher George Al-Ama, an expert on Palestinian art, a collection of jewellery and clothes expressing the ancient local culture will be on display. GEORGE AL AMA Researcher and expert on Palestinian art "These treasures belong to the Palestinian cultural heritage, and help to document the relationship of the Custody of the Holy Land with the local Palestinians. Here we see three very important headpieces, one of which was used in the villages around Hebron and two in Ramallah. These are unique pieces of Palestinian clothing that are among the rarest in the world; there are only twelve examples of this type in the whole world and all of them are traceable. Among these rarities we have this piece that is ninety percent complete: it is a headpiece, dating back to Ottoman times, that we call "Wuqiyat Adarahem", made of three thousand to four thousand pieces of silver. In the past, it was given to the bride on her wedding night by the Sheikh 'head of the village'; every village had one." During Ottoman rule, coins were often used in the creation of jewellery and were sewn onto headdresses. GEORGE AL AMA Researcher and expert on Palestinian art "We also have a large and rare collection of Palestinian jewellery made of pure silver. There is "Al-Baghma" which the Palestinian woman wore around her neck, and "Al-Zinaq", which was worn on the chin and connected with pieces to the head, through the "Shatwa" of the city of Bethlehem. We also have other pieces, such as the hoop that was placed over the "Shatwa", and some jewellery such as earrings and other items. As an expert in this field, what attracted my attention the most was the wonderful, meticulous and scientific work done by the sisters." These rare pieces of art were in fact restored by the Sisters Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament, a congregation present at the Milk Grotto near the Church of the Nativity. The Terra Sancta Museum highlights the deep bond between the local faithful and pilgrims from all over the world. A bond that, on the one hand, has contributed to enrich the history of the local Church in the Holy Land and, on the other, to strengthen the bond between the living stones and the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. Read More