https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirate_o ... prov=sfla1
Sicily was part of the Byzantine Empire when Muslim Moors from North Africa began launching raids in 652. Through a prolonged series of conflicts from 827 to 902, they gradually conquered the entirety of Sicily, with only the stronghold of Rometta, in the far northeast, holding out until 965.
Under Muslim rule, the island became prosperous and cosmopolitan. Trade and agriculture flourished, and Palermo became one of the largest and wealthiest cities in Europe.
