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Lesser-known facts of the Muslim past

A community receives light from its history, it becomes aware of itself by remembrance of its history - Muhammad Iqbal

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Sicily

(1/5)

1What was the Muslim "nickname" for Palermo?

Al Jabal (the mountain)

Al Madina (the city)

Al Boustan (the garden)

As Souq (the market)

2Which Sicilian word is NOT originaly from Arabic?

Catusu (pipe)

Gebbia (cistern, well)

Cirasa (cherry)

Mischinu (poor guy)

3What was the reaction of the Norman rulers to the Islamic culture they found when they conquered Sicily in the 11th century CE?

They ignored it

They supported it

They tried to destroy it

They suppressed it

4Muhammad al-Idrisi was born in Morocco (Ceuta) and spent a long time living in Palermo, Sicily. How did he end up there?

He was a trader who imported the famous Sicilian silk to Morocco and Muslim Spain

He was a cartographer who was invited by the Christian king of Sicily to make a map of the world

He was the military commander who started the Muslim opening of Sicily

He was on his way to Hajj (pelgrimage) but was shipwrecked near Palermo

5Who was Asad ibn al-Furat?

A Muslim Sicilian who introduced many irrigation techniques into Sicily

A Muslim religious scholar who was born and raised in Sicily but was forced to flee after the Norman conquest

A Muslim religious scholar who was appointed as commander of the army that would start the Muslim opening of Sicily

A Muslim cartographer from Palermo

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