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
Capital City Green Capital City Green Capital City Green is the branding of the bus service "27" Cardiff, operated by Cardiff Bus. The route runs from the city centre to the north of the city, serving the Maindy, Heath, Birchgrove and Thornhill districts. The service forms part of the wider Cardiff Bus network and is one of three services to have a unique branding, along with Baycar and Capital City Red. The upgraded service was introduced in 2007 when Cardiff Bus deployed on the route six out of 15 new Scania OmniCity vehicles which it had purchased at a cost of £2.5 million.