PRESENCE OF MUSLIM SLAVES IN THE COURT OF PALERMO DURING THE 6TH CENTURY AH/12TH CENTURY ADIN LIGHT OF ANDALUSIAN TRAVEL LITERATURE:"AL-TADHKIRA BI’L-AKHBAR ‘AN ITTIFAQAT AL-ASFAR" BY IBN JUBAYR AS A MODE

Abstract :As a result of economic ties and militaryoperationsbetweenbothshores of the Mediterraneanduring the medievalperiod, many peoples and ethnic groups moved-eithervoluntarily or forcibly-to regionsbeyondtheir original homelands. Among the mostsignificant of theseregionswere Al-Andalus and Sicily. The latter witnessedsignificantpoliticalsettlement and the widespread influence of Islam and itscivilizationfrom the 2nd century AH/8th century AD. AlthoughIslamicrule in Sicily came to an end in the 5th century AH/11th century AD due to the Reconquista and the shifting balance of power between the East and West in the Mediterranean world, Muslimcommunitiescontinued to existthere.Despitebeing at the lowestranks of the social hierarchy, theseMuslim groups played a crucial role in the political and social life of Sicily, particularly in the courts of itsrulers and itsgreat capital, Palermo. Amongthese groups was the class of "slaves and servants", whosepresence and contributions are partiallydocumented in Ibn Jubayr’s travelogue Al-Tadhkirabi’l-Akhbar ‘an Ittifaqat al-Asfar. This study explores the role and contributions of thisMuslimcommunity and social class in Sicily, with a particular focus on Palermo. Keywords :Muslim Slaves, Palermo, Sicily, AndalusianTravelLiterature, IslamicCivilization, Ibn Jubayr’s Journey, MedievalPeriod