ARAB PALERMO
The isle of Sicily spent 200 years under Arab rule, a period of growth and prominence during which Sicily was a hub of civilization, society and culture civilization and culture of that time. The period of Arab rule strongly influenced the language, customs and traditions, and gastronomic specialties of the Sicilian people. Today the names of many cities in Sicily have Arabic roots, such as Marsala from the Arabic Mars-Alì ( the port of Allah), the first city where Arabs landed in 827 A.D..
Arab Sicily reached the pinnacle of its grandeur and power in 948 A.D. under the Emir Hasan I who established the capital in Balarm (Palermo). In Sicily, Arabs, Jews, Orthodox and Catholics lived and traded in together in peace while the rest of Europe lived in the darkness of the Middle Ages. In 1061 A.D.the Normans, under Ruggero II, invaded from the north and began their conquest of Sicily, absorbing many of the customs and traditions typical of the Arab world.
This mix of northern and Arab culture is typified by Ibn Hamdis (1056, 1133), recognized as the greatest Sicilian poet who lived during the Norman's domination. His famous poem, Amata Sicilia (Beloved Sicily), sung the praises of the island that was loved by both those who lived there and those who were passing through.
My Sicily. desperate pain
It renews for you in the memoryYouth. I see the happy follies lost and friends wonderful
Oh heaven from which I was expelled! It's worth remembering your brilliance?
My tears. If you did not know too bitter, you will be now its river.
The use of an Arab work force and Arab architects by the Norman court gave birth to the so-called ArabNorman style of architecture, unique to Sicily. The Arab-Norman style reached its maximum splendor in the capital city of Palermo during the reign of Frederick II.
In Palermo you can find countless evidence of this union of cultures, such as prayers to Allah written in Arabic or depictions of people in Arabian costume in Catholic churches or the elaborate Eastern style decorations of the royal palace of Palermo.
The use of an Arab work force and Arab architects by the Norman court gave birth to the so-called Arab-Norman style of architecture, unique to Sicily. The Arab-Norman style reached its maximum splendor in the capital city of Palermo during the reign of Frederick II.
On July 3rd, 2015 UNESCO added nine buildings to the list of World Heritage properties, seven of which are in town of Palermo In December 2000 the old city of Baku was also included as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Palermo and Baku are two cities linked by their ancient histories, and above all are two cities that serve as queens of their distinct regions, the Mediterranean and the Caucasus.
They are two cities and two populations that resemble each other, due to the taste and elegance typical of the Azerbaijani and the Sicilian people. Today in the new millennium, thanks to technology and means of modern communication and transport, these two ancient cultures can again merge and assimilate, creating important contacts in social, human, economic and above all cultural spheres.
The great development Azerbaijan has experienced could be an example for Sicily, together they can propel their two magnificent regions of the world towards a happy and prosperous future.