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,
Capital City Classic Association, before Richmond left for the Atlantic 10 Conference (A10). In 2012, it once again became a conference rivalry with VCU's arrival in the A10. The rivalry has been known under a number of different names over the years, including the Black & Blue Classic, before being renamed the Capital City Classic for the 2014–15 season. "Richmond victories are shaded in ██ blue. VCU victories shaded in ██ gold." Capital City Classic The Capital City Classic is a college basketball series between the VCU Rams and the Richmond Spiders. Both schools are located within Virginia's state capital of Richmond—Virginia Commonwealth