The Moors in Northern Morocco and their Emirate of Sicily – Group Tour Concept 2025

Morocco, the Canary Islands of Spain, Sicily, Malta, Corsica and Sardinia are linked by history, culture, language, climate, fauna, flora, cuisine, the arts, artisanry and the genetics of the local populations.

Come with us on a group tour in 2025, that explores the Moors of Northern Morocco and of Sicily.

Not a lecture tour.

Not an academic tour.

Rather, a tour of the senses,

that is thematically linked to the influence of the Moors on Sicily from their time of domination of this island, at the height of their power,

in what is now known as Europe.

Love the artwork of our graphic designer for so many years, Katrina Nicolson. If you want her details, just let us know.

(We also talked about Morocco-Sicily links, in an earlier blog post here.).

We arrive in Casablanca, then take the bullet-train to Tangier, where there is a lot of history of interconnecting cultures, not least because of the proximity to Spain.

As the three maps in this blog post illustrate, we will drill down in Northern Morocco, before leaving for Sicily to appreciate:

• The capital of the former Emirate of Sicily at Palermo, famous for the sweets introduced by the Moors and for the calls of the vendors at the local food markets, that eerily echo the Moslem call to prayer.
• The couscous festival at Trapani in or around late September.
• Caltagirone, the capital of ceramics located in central Sicily, in order to witness master craftsmen whose families have for generations fashioned i Mori, the highly decorative ceramic heads that echo Sicily’s history of violence and amour. (Maybe we will even have a go ourselves!)
• Siracusa and also Noto, which was the Moors’ last outpost before being hounded out by the Norman Christian invaders in around 1155AD.
• We finish up in Taormina, known as the jewel of Sicily, where the Byzantine Rulers before the Moors’ domination, had held out against the Moorish invaders.
• Finally, we depart from Catania airport, not too far from Taormina.

Cannot wait to introduce you to Sicily!

As some readers may be aware, our Principal Cara has a degree in Italian language and culture and a very long affiliation, more than half her life, with Italy, in particular Sicily. We will however be collaborating intensively with locals to ensure we have the most immersive and enriching experience possible.

Please send any obligation-free expressions of interest to holidays@aussiesinmoroccotours.com.au