La alhambra; leyendas árabes

Set in the year 1240, the tale opens on the barren Red Hill that would later become the famed Alhambra. Rather than the ornate towers and gardens we recognize today, the landscape is a rugged, rocky promontory dotted with a lone watchtower, the ruins of a Roman temple to Diana, and a handful of Moorish sentries scanning the plains. Against this stark backdrop, the narrator paints a vivid picture of the surrounding valleys, snow‑capped Sierra Nevada, and the glittering Vega, inviting listeners to imagine the raw beauty that preceded the palace’s splendor.

Within this austere setting, the first legend emerges—a story of King Nazar and the mysterious Red Hill, where ancient spirits linger among the retamas and thorns. The prose weaves together history and folklore, letting the listener hear the distant clang of watchtower bells and the whisper of desert winds across the abandoned forts of Albunest and the Albayzín. As the river Genil winds down from the snow‑capped peaks, it carries the promise of change, hinting at the grand transformations that will soon reshape the land.