Emirate of Sicily

The Emirate of Sicily, also known as Muslim Sicily, refers to the period of Islamic rule on the island from the late ninth to the late eleventh centuries, specifically from 827 to 1091. Founded in 831 CE, the island became a prosperous and influential commercial power in the Mediterranean, with its capital, Palermo, serving as a major cultural and political center. Muslim forces from Ifriqiya began the conquest in 827, with the entire island gradually falling by 902. The Kalbid dynasty governed as autonomous emirs from 948. Under Muslim rule, Sicily developed a distinct Arab-Byzantine culture, becoming multiconfessional and multilingual. The emirate was dissolved around 1072 CE, as Christian Norman mercenaries under Roger I conquered the island, with the last Muslim city falling in 1091.