Unveiling the Historically Concealed Islamic Heritage in Palermo
Palermo, the vibrant city of Sicily, is a melting pot of diverse cultures, with Muslim communities from countries such as Bangladesh, Senegal, and Tunisia calling it home. This rich tapestry of diversity is a testament to the city's deep-rooted Islamic history that has shaped its culture and architecture.
More than a thousand years ago, in 832, Palermo was conquered by Muslim forces from Ifriqiya, a historical region that incorporated modern-day Tunisia, eastern Algeria, and parts of Libya. This marked the beginning of Palermo's journey as a province in the Islamic empire under Aghlabid and later Fatimid rule.
During this period, Arabic language influences, new agricultural techniques, and crops like lemons, oranges, and sugarcane were introduced. The Arabic language also left a lasting impact on the Sicilian dialect, with some words still similar today. The Muslim rule also left a significant architectural footprint, although much has been hidden or transformed over centuries.
Today, the most visible Islamic influence can be seen in Palermo’s Arab-Norman architecture, a unique fusion that UNESCO recognises as a World Heritage site. Important examples include the Palatine Chapel with its Islamic-style muqarnas ceiling, alongside Byzantine mosaics and Latin features, as well as the Zisa Palace, a 12th-century palace reflecting Arabic aesthetics and techniques. The Palermo Cathedral, built on the site of a former mosque, embodies layers of cultural history.
Contemporary Muslim residents in Palermo, such as Tehseen Nisar, a Pakistani academic and poet who has lived in the city for three years, and Lamin Drammeh, an actor who arrived from the Gambia 10 years ago, are actively engaging with this heritage. Many express pride in Palermo’s Arab past, finding it reflected in the city’s architecture, language, and the warmth of its people, which they find reminiscent of their own cultures.
This reconnection takes place culturally and socially, through worship, art, and preservation efforts of historical sites linked to Islamic history. For instance, Helena Russo, a dancer, performs the Sicilian muwashahat, a blend of Arabic musical poetry and dance developed in Al-Andalus in the 11th century, inspired by her imaginings of what the accompanying dance would have been like at the time of the Muslim presence on the island.
Tehseen Nisar, whose work is part of the Absent Presence project on multi-religious encounters in cities across the world, feels enmeshed in Palermo and does not feel like an outsider. She even has a deep connection to one of Palermo's many ficus trees, comparing it to the beautiful gardens near the Arabian Sea in Karachi.
For others like Sirus Nikkhoo Sari Ghieh, originally from Iran, who came to Palermo in 1980 to study architecture, discovering traces of Persian culture in the city's architecture was a revelation. Cesare Tinì, who has lived most of his life in Palermo, converted to Islam as a young man and founded Siqiliah, a musical group that fuses north African and Turkish traditions with those of the island.
The Absent Presence project, funded by the European Research Council grant Multi-Religious Encounters in Urban Settings (2019-2025), aims to explore and document these multi-religious encounters in cities across the world. Hejer Jouini, born in Palermo to Tunisian parents, stands at the 12th-century Zisa Palace, one of Palermo's key Arab-Norman sites, as a testament to this reconnection with the city's Islamic heritage.
In summary, Palermo’s Islamic history shapes the city’s distinctive cultural and architectural identity, and contemporary Muslim residents reconnect with their shared heritage by valuing the Arab-Norman monuments, linguistic echoes, and cultural practices rooted in this rich past.
- Tehseen Nisar, a Pakistani academic and poet residing in Palermo for three years, finds similarities between the city's warm people and her own culture, recalling the beauty of the gardens near the Arabian Sea in her hometown of Karachi.
- Sirus Nikkhoo Sari Ghieh, originally from Iran, discovered traces of Persian culture in Palermo's architecture during his studies in the city, which was a compelling revelation for him.
