Between the 9th and 13th centuries, the streets of Palermo echoed with a language now lost to time. Long before Baroque palaces and Sicilian cannoli, Siculo-Arabic was spoken across the island,  from bustling markets to quiet countryside, by Muslims, Christians, and Jews alike.

Born after the Arab conquest of the 9th century, this language became Sicily’s common voice. In Bal’har̲m (today’s Palermo), merchants traded spices and silks, scholars debated ideas, and everyday life unfolded in a cultural melting pot shaped by the Mediterranean.

Even today, walking through Palermo’s historic markets — Ballarò, Capo, and the Vucciria — you can still sense that vibrant crossroads of cultures, where flavors and traditions tell stories older than the streets themselves.
Curious to experience it firsthand? Our Palermo Street Food and Market Tours bring this living heritage to life.

When the Normans conquered Sicily in the 11th century, Siculo-Arabic didn’t disappear overnight. It remained the language of administration, poetry, and science for generations. Royal decrees were written in Arabic, and churches recorded their foundations in Greek and Arabic, side by side.

For a time, Sicily was a rare example of convivenza — where Latin knights, Arab scholars, and Greek scribes shared the same courts and cities. That spirit still shines today in Palermo’s Arab-Norman monuments, where Islamic geometry, Byzantine mosaics, and Western architecture blend in extraordinary harmony.
Discover this unique legacy with our Arab-Norman Palermo and UNESCO Heritage Tours.

Although Siculo-Arabic eventually faded from Sicily, it never vanished completely. Its closest descendant survives in Maltese, the national language of Malta, and echoes still linger in Sicilian words like zibibbu, giuggiulena, and zaffarana.

So next time you wander Palermo’s streets or hear a word that sounds unexpectedly Arabic, remember: Once upon a time, Sicily didn’t just taste the Mediterranean — it spoke it.

by Sara Ibrahim