Multicultural and Cross-Cultural Aspects of the Normans in Southern Italy, Sicily & North Africa

Christianity in Mahdia and Tunis

As mentioned, the regions of North Africa have been dominated by Islam over the last couple centuries. After the Normans conquered the region and formed the Kingdom of Africa, the Normans attempted to reintroduce Christianity into major cities across North Africa. Similar to the Lombard’s migration into Sicily, groups of Normans, Lombards, and Italians were encouraged to migrate from the Italian Peninsula into the newly-created African kingdom. Thanks to guarantees of protection and military garrisons in all major cities, Christianity was allowed to have a foothold in the region for the first time since the days of the Roman Empire. Among the cities of priority were the modern-day Tunisian cities of Mahdia and Tunis. Despite Christian practitioners still being the minority in the region, there are still reasons why the Normans encouraged expanded Christianity in these cities.
For one, the proximity of both Tunis and Mahdia is much closer when compared to other North African cities within the Norman Kingdom of Sicily. This leads to my second reason, the economic incentive of having Christians in North Africa. Norman attempts to encourage cultural migration in the region increased the chance of Christian merchants trading in the region, establishing both more revenue and connections with the Christian world. Lastly, the cultural establishment of Siculo-Normans on the Italian Peninsula and Sicily gave the Normans belief that local Muslims and Berbers would contribute to the integration of Christianity in North Africa. Through cultural adaption, the Normans aimed to create a Christian kingdom in Africa through steady assimilation of their customized culture.

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