Unesco heritage
Arab-Norman Route
Zisa Palace and Museum of Islamic Art
Photo by Bjs CC0
The Norman kings' pleasure palace, built by Arab craftsmen with a cooling system that still works.
- Distance
- Area
- Zisa
- Visit
- 60 min
- Entry
- Ticketed
The story
Built between 1165 and 1180 for William I and completed by William II, its name comes from the Arabic al-Azīza, 'the splendid'. It was the chief of the royal pleasure pavilions set in the Genoardo park, surrounded by pools and gardens. The Fountain Hall preserves muqarnas vaults, a mosaic frieze and the salsabil, the sloping slab over which water ran. Since 1991 it has housed the Museum of Islamic Art, with Mediterranean artefacts from the 9th to the 12th century.