Mike Reitz Islam in Sicily

By mreitz
  • 826

    Euphemius

    Euphemius
    Euphemius a local naval commander rebels after being threatened with arrest for marrying a nun. After losing the battle he moves to Islamic North Africa.
  • Jan 1, 827

    Invasion

    Invasion
    Euphemius bring troops from Islamic North Africa to try and reclaim Sicily by besieging Syracuse.
  • Jan 1, 829

    Withdrawal

    Withdrawal
    Due to Syracuse being able to receive supplies via sea the siege was unsuccessful and the siege was lifted.
  • Jun 1, 829

    Euphemius Death

    The Muslims send Euphemius further inland and he is recognized as traitor and stabbed to death.
  • Jan 1, 830

    Reinforcements

    Reinforcements
    Islamic Spain sends reinforcement troops to meet up with the Islamic North African troops, allowing them to take Palermo.
  • Jan 1, 860

    Control

    By the year 860 the Muslims controlled Western Sicily after suppressing a revolt.
  • Jan 1, 878

    Syracuse

    Syracuse
    In 878 Syracuse finally falls to the invading Muslims. This leaves most of the northeastern corner of the island in Christian control.
  • Jan 1, 883

    Southern Italy

    Southern Italy
    By 883 Naples, Amalfi, and Gaeta all aligned themselves with the Muslims out of fear. This allows the Muslims to establish military bases along the coast of Italy.
  • Jan 2, 883

    Monte Cassino

    Monte Cassino
    In 883 the Muslims raiders sacked and destroyed the Monte Cassino monastery in southern Italy.
  • Jan 1, 885

    Push Back

    Push Back
    In 885 the Byzantines were able to rally enough forces to push the Muslims back. The Muslims continued to focus their efforts on Calabria.
  • Jan 1, 960

    Taormina

    Taormina
    A Muslim army marches on Taormina a predominantly Christian town along the northern coast of Sicily. The citizens of the town were sold into slavery and the town was repopulated with Sicilian Muslims.
  • Jan 1, 965

    Rametta

    Rametta
    The Muslims siege and take the last Christian community in inland Sicily and repopulated the town with Sicilian Muslims.
  • Jan 1, 970

    Ibn Hawqal

    Ibn Hawqal
    During the 970s Ibn Hawqal visited Sicily and saw that Muslim husbands were letting their Christian wives raise their children as Christians. This accelerated the conversion of Christian to Muslim under the Shiite Fatimid Dynasty.
  • Jan 1, 1052

    Normans

    Normans
    The Normans are the new power in Southern Italy and now are moving towards Sicily. They start to gain control through their fighting prowess and manipulation of Muslims.
  • Jan 1, 1072

    End of Muslim Rule

    The Normans siege and take Palermo in the January of 1072 marking the end of Muslim rule in Sicily. It would take around 200 more years to convert the majority of the island back to Christianity.