Sicily and encouraged the growth of smallholdings, undermining the dominance of the latifundia. The Arabs further improved irrigation systems. The language spoken in Sicily under Arab rule was Siculo-Arabic and Arabic influence is still present in some Sicilian words today. Although the language is extinct in Sicily, it has developed into what is now the Maltese language on the islands of Malta today. A description of Palermo was given by Ibn Hawqal, an Arab merchant who visited Sicily in 950. A walled suburb, called the Al-Kasr (the palace), is the centre of Palermo to this day, with the great Friday mosque
The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily (film) The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily (film) The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily (; ) is an upcoming French-Italian animated film directed by Lorenzo Mattotti. It is based on the children's book "The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily" by Dino Buzzati. The film is produced by the French company Prima Linea Productions. It is co-produced with Pathé and France 3 Cinéma in France and Indigo Films and Rai Cinema in Italy. It has a budget of eleven million euro. It received financial support from Canal+ and the CNC. It received 375,000 euro from the Ile-de-France region's Support Fund for Film