Syracuse, Sicily Sicily until it fell to the Aghlabids after another siege on 20/21 May 878. During the two centuries of Muslim rule, the capital of the Emirate of Sicily was moved from Syracuse to Palermo. The Cathedral was converted into a mosque and the quarter on the Ortygia island was gradually rebuilt along Islamic styles. The city, nevertheless, maintained important trade relationships, and housed a relatively flourishing cultural and artistic life: several Arab poets, including Ibn Hamdis, the most important Sicilian Arab poet of the 12th century, flourished in the city. In 1038, the Byzantine general George Maniakes reconquered the city,
The Other Sicily The Other Sicily The Other Sicily ("L'Altra Sicilia") is an association primarily involved in assisting Sicilian emigrants. It is based in Brussels (Belgium), from where it publishes a bimonthly named "L'Isola", and its founder and president is Francesco Paolo Catania. In the run-up of the 2006 general election the association teamed up with the For the South party and finally participated to the election under "The Other Sicily – For the South" banner in the "Europe" constituency for Italians abroad. The list received 2.1% of the vote in the constituency. The association strongly defends Sicilian identity and autonomy, while frequently