Mother-of-pearl carving in Bethlehem Mother-of-pearl carving in Bethlehem Mother-of-Pearl carving, a traditional handicraft in Bethlehem, is said to have been brought to the city by Franciscan friars from Italy in the 15th century. Bethlehem's position as an important Christian city has for centuries attracted a constant stream of pilgrims. This generated much local work and income, also for women, including making mother-of-pearl souvenirs. According to Weir, Bethlehem women's employment in the mother-of-pearl industry goes back at least to the seventeenth century. It was noted by Richard Pococke, who travelled there in 1727. Previously, most of the oysters for the mother-of-pearl supply came from the
The Pearl of Africa (film) The Pearl of Africa (film) The Pearl of Africa is a documentary film directed by Johnny von Wallstroem, it focus on the life of Cleopatra Kambugu, a Ugandan born woman who decide to live openly as a trans woman despite hostility towards same-sex relations in the country. The phrase Pearl of Africa is attributed to Winston Churchill who used it to describe Uganda's flora and fauna. In 2014, when the protagonist and her lover decide to settle down quietly, Uganda passed a homophobic law; later in the year, a Ugandan tabloid, "Red Pepper" outed Kambugu which eventually forced the lovers