▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁Much ▁of ▁North ▁Africa ▁became ▁a ▁peri pher al ▁area ▁to ▁the ▁main ▁Muslim ▁cent res ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁but ▁I ber ia ▁( Al - And alus ) ▁and ▁Mor oc co ▁soon ▁broke ▁away ▁from ▁this ▁distant ▁control ▁and ▁founded ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁most ▁advanced ▁soci eties ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁along ▁with ▁Bag hd ad ▁in ▁the ▁eastern ▁Mediter rane an . ▁Between ▁ 8 3 1 ▁and ▁ 1 0 7 1 , ▁the ▁Em ir ate ▁of ▁Sic ily ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁cent res ▁of ▁Islam ic ▁culture ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter rane an . ▁After ▁its ▁con quest ▁by ▁the ▁Norm ans ▁the ▁island ▁developed ▁its ▁own ▁distinct ▁culture ▁with ▁the ▁fusion ▁of ▁Arab , ▁Western , ▁and ▁By z antine ▁influ ences . ▁Pal ermo ▁remained ▁a ▁leading ▁art istic ▁and ▁commercial ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁well ▁into ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁ ▁Africa ▁was ▁rev iving , ▁however , ▁as ▁more ▁organized ▁and ▁central ized ▁states ▁began ▁to ▁form ▁in ▁the ▁later ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁after ▁the ▁Renaissance ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 2 th   century . ▁Mot iv ated ▁by ▁religion ▁and ▁con quest , ▁the ▁k ings ▁of ▁Europe ▁launched ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁Cr us ades ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁roll ▁back ▁Muslim ▁power ▁and ▁re take ▁the ▁Holy ▁Land . ▁The ▁Cr us ades ▁were ▁un success ful ▁but ▁were ▁far ▁more ▁effective ▁in ▁weak ening ▁the ▁already ▁tot ter