Tales of the Alhambra

Wander through echoing courts and jasmine-scented halls, where the whisper of Moorish kings still lingers in the painted air. In Tales of the Alhambra, Washington Irving invites the reader not into mere history, but into a waking dream of Spain—a place where stone lions keep watery vigil and forgotten soldiers pace moonlit corridors. These stories, part legend, part keen observation, ripple with the mystery of vanished empires and the quiet wonder of a traveler who listens closely. With a touch of dry humor and a pen dipped in the warm ochres and shadowed blues of Granada, Irving captures the Alhambra not as it is, but as it nearly might be—forever shimmering between truth and tale. Contents • Preface to the Revised Edition • Palace of the Alhambra • Inhabitants of the Alhambra • Alhamar, the Founder of the Alhambra • Yusef Abul Hagig, the Finisher of the Alhambra • Public Fêtes of Granada • Local Traditions • Legend of the Arabian Astrologer • Legend of Prince Ahmed al Kamel or, The Pilgrim of Love • Legend of the Moor's Legacy • Legend of the Three Beautiful Princesses • Legend of the Rose of the Alhambra • Legend of the Two Discreet Statues • Legend of Don Munio Sancho de Hinojosa • The Legend of the Enchanted Soldier • The Author's Farewell to Granada