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Light of the Medina
June 16, 2026 7:00 p.m.
CóRDOBA
Casa Árabe Auditorium (at Calle Samuel de los Santos Gener, 9).
7:00 p.m.
Free entry until the event’s capacity is reached.
In Spanish
On Tuesday, June 16, Casa Árabe will be hosting the presentation of this work by Emma Lira, winner of the 2026 Edhasa Prize for Historical Fiction, at its Cordoba headquarters. The novel explores the themes of forbidden love, loyalty, betrayal, ambition and destiny. You won’t want to miss it!
Under the rule of al-Hakam II, the Cordoba caliphate has become a beacon for the West. Medina Azahara, the imperial city, shines as a symbol of power and allure, and the great caliphal library aspires to gather all of the knowledge in the known world. However, it is in the outskirts, far from the strict protocol of the royal court, that the destinies of two humble youths will become intertwined: Lubna, a scribe of Christian origin who will devote her life to knowledge, and Abi Amir, a law student who will use his talent and strategy to become Almanzor, the Victorious.
United by a shared admiration, both will become witnesses to and main role-players in the transformation of Al-Andalus as it reaches its zenith. However, in the paradise of marble and water making up Medina Azahara, every move comes at a price. And little by little, it seems that something is beginning to crack. The caliph has no successor, alliances are growing fragile, and only a risky plan might guarantee the continuity of the Umayyad dynasty. Once an heir is finally born, his secret could bring down the very foundations of the caliphate.
In a powerful epic set in tenth-century Cordoba, Light of the Medina tells the story of Almanzor’s rise to power and the inner conflict of a woman who, called upon to safeguard the truth, hides the most hideous of all lies. A novel about forbidden love, loyalties, betrayals and fate, but also about ambition and how it inevitably leads to conflict. All of which is set to the pace of Qur’anic suras in line with the rigor of historical chronicles, which Emma Lira narrates to us in a brilliant, unexpected way.
Two parallel lives, two utterly fascinating real-life figures: Almanzor, the great Arab military leader, and Lubna, the librarian from Cordoba. And a historical period as captivating as it is magical.
Accompanying the author during the presentation of the work at Casa Árabe will be Antonio Monterroso, a professor of Archeology at the University of Cordoba, and writer, professor and musician Antonio Manuel Rodríguez. The event will be presented and moderated by Javier Rosón, Casa Árabe’s Coordinator in Cordoba.
Emma Lira studied Journalism at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. After an initial period working at Diario 16, she became editor-in-chief for various corporate publications and authored guides for Lonely Planet. At present a freelance reporter, she regularly contributes to the magazines National Geographic, Viajes and Historia and works as a cultural guide at various destinations throughout Africa and the Middle East, including Morocco, Algeria, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
A true travel buff, lover of history and archeology, and an expert on the Arab world and Islam, it is in her role as a writer to channel her interests and aspirations, creating unforgettable settings and characters. She was a finalist for the Felipe Trigo Award in 1998, with her book Tras el agua grande, and that year published her first novel, Búscame donde nacen los dragos (Seek Me Where the Dragon Trees Are Born). This was followed by Lo que esconden las olas (What Is Hidden by the Waves, 2015), Espejismo, viaje al oriente desaparecido (Mirage: A journey to the vanished Orient, 2018), Ponte en mi piel (Put Yourself in My Skin, 2019), El último árbol del paraíso (The Last Tree in Paradise, 2020), La luna sobre Roma (Moon Over Rome, 2024) and El cautivo (The Captive, 2025), a novel based on the film script by Alejandro Amenábar with the same title.
Booktrailer for the work
United by a shared admiration, both will become witnesses to and main role-players in the transformation of Al-Andalus as it reaches its zenith. However, in the paradise of marble and water making up Medina Azahara, every move comes at a price. And little by little, it seems that something is beginning to crack. The caliph has no successor, alliances are growing fragile, and only a risky plan might guarantee the continuity of the Umayyad dynasty. Once an heir is finally born, his secret could bring down the very foundations of the caliphate.
In a powerful epic set in tenth-century Cordoba, Light of the Medina tells the story of Almanzor’s rise to power and the inner conflict of a woman who, called upon to safeguard the truth, hides the most hideous of all lies. A novel about forbidden love, loyalties, betrayals and fate, but also about ambition and how it inevitably leads to conflict. All of which is set to the pace of Qur’anic suras in line with the rigor of historical chronicles, which Emma Lira narrates to us in a brilliant, unexpected way.
Two parallel lives, two utterly fascinating real-life figures: Almanzor, the great Arab military leader, and Lubna, the librarian from Cordoba. And a historical period as captivating as it is magical.
Accompanying the author during the presentation of the work at Casa Árabe will be Antonio Monterroso, a professor of Archeology at the University of Cordoba, and writer, professor and musician Antonio Manuel Rodríguez. The event will be presented and moderated by Javier Rosón, Casa Árabe’s Coordinator in Cordoba.
Emma Lira studied Journalism at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. After an initial period working at Diario 16, she became editor-in-chief for various corporate publications and authored guides for Lonely Planet. At present a freelance reporter, she regularly contributes to the magazines National Geographic, Viajes and Historia and works as a cultural guide at various destinations throughout Africa and the Middle East, including Morocco, Algeria, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
A true travel buff, lover of history and archeology, and an expert on the Arab world and Islam, it is in her role as a writer to channel her interests and aspirations, creating unforgettable settings and characters. She was a finalist for the Felipe Trigo Award in 1998, with her book Tras el agua grande, and that year published her first novel, Búscame donde nacen los dragos (Seek Me Where the Dragon Trees Are Born). This was followed by Lo que esconden las olas (What Is Hidden by the Waves, 2015), Espejismo, viaje al oriente desaparecido (Mirage: A journey to the vanished Orient, 2018), Ponte en mi piel (Put Yourself in My Skin, 2019), El último árbol del paraíso (The Last Tree in Paradise, 2020), La luna sobre Roma (Moon Over Rome, 2024) and El cautivo (The Captive, 2025), a novel based on the film script by Alejandro Amenábar with the same title.
Booktrailer for the work
