Resumen
La Alhambra; leyendas árabes is a richly evocative anthology by Manuel Fernández y González, composed of traditional Arabic legends set against the evocative backdrop of 13th-century Granada and the iconic palatial complex of La Alhambra.
Written in a romantic and descriptive style, the collection merges history, myth, and local folklore.
It transports readers to an Andalusia imbued with Moorish enchantment: crumbling towers, secret gardens, courtly intrigue, and haunting omens. Among the tales are stories of enigmatic figures like King Nazar, the Sultana’s lookout, and the young prince Mohammed Abd'Allah and his tragic love for the mysterious Bekralbayda.
Their stories unfold amid mystical signs like owls and visions, guiding them through perilous quests in the palace’s shadowy recesses.
Fernández y González’s prose is ideal for evoking the literary romanticism of the 19th century—blending lush descriptions with cultural immersion, evoking the atmosphere of an exotic Orient transplanted into Spanish soil.
Frequently illustrated, editions of the work were designed to attract readers fascinated by the blend of legend and Orientalist allure.