A Sultan in Palermo

GLOSSARY

Al-Andalus

Islamic Spain

Amir

Commander

Amir

al-kitab

Commander of the Book

Amir

al-bahr

Commander of the Sea and from which ‘Admiral’ is derived

Allahu Akbar

God is Great

Atrabanashi

Trapani

Balansiya

Valencia

Djirdjent

Agrigento

Gharnata

Granada

Habibi

my love; from which ‘hey, baby!’ is not derived

Hammam

public or private baths

Ifriqiya

North Africa

Ishbilia

Seville

Jiddu

granddad

Khutba

the Friday sermon at the mosque

Lanbadusha

Lampedusa

Malaka

Malaga

Marsa Ali

Marsala

mehfil

a meeting/assembly, often by invitation; from which ‘mafia’ is not derived

qadi/kadi

the Chief Law Officer of a Muslim city with extraordinary powers to preserve order

Qurlun

Corleone

Qurtuba

Cordoba

Shakka

Sciacca

Siqilliya

Sicily