Leiden University Student Repository

Bovenkerk, Rosa (2025)

Muslim Identities and Traveling to the South of Europe: A Comparative Analysis of Islamic Heritage Tourism in Southern Spain and Sicily

Master thesis | Middle Eastern Studies (MA)

This thesis investigates why Islamic Heritage Tourism (IHT) is thriving in Spain but remains limited in Sicily, despite both areas being home to rare Islamic heritage in the south of Europe. The research focuses on online representation of organised IHT tours and on Social Identity Theory (SIT). Spain’s extensive Islamic history and the tension between the Reconquista and Convivencia narratives ensured the centrality of its Islamic heritage in social identity formation. Sicily’s Islamic history and heritage existed in the margins of identity formation, as through the Risorgimento narrative other heritage (e.g. Roman, Catholic) became increasingly prominent. SIT explains how ingroup–outgroup dynamics determined the collective memory of Islamic heritage, shaping the current uneven IHT landscapes.

Islamic Heritage Tourism, Halal Tourism, Spain, Italy, Sicily, al-Andalus, collective memory, Social Identity Theory, Reconquista, Convivencia, Risorgimento

Author

Bovenkerk, Rosa

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Supervisors

Petra Sijpesteijn

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en