The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca

Tahir Shah (2006)
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THE A5 BOOK REVIEW

The Caliph’s House is a highly enjoyable story of an English travel writer named Tahir Shah who, looking for sun and for a relaxing new life, adventurously moves his wife and two young children from an apartment in London to sun-drenched Casablanca in the kingdom of Morocco, where he had traveled as a child.  His goal is to rebuild and to restore a decrepit old mansion named Dar Khalifa that once was the home of the city’s spiritual leader.  Their transition though is anything but relaxing.  Coping with the daily challenges of adapting to such a different world is hard enough, especially in the midst of such a grand renovation, but their real issues come from the community’s unfaltering belief that the house is occupied by jinns, invisible spirits that require sacrifice and ultimately an elaborate exorcism.  Morocco delivers an amazing blend of Islamic and African customs and traditions, and Shah truly brings this fascinating culture to life in this charming and entertaining book.
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ABOUT TAHIR SHAH

Tahir Shah is a travel writer and documentary film maker with over fifteen books published, most of which focus on exotic travels though Africa, India and Asia.  He co-wrote the IMAX film summarizing a trip to Mecca made by one of the world’s most prolific travelers, Ibn Battuta, in 1325.  Shah has also written a number of serious journalistic pieces that highlight causes he believes need a voice.

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GREAT QUOTES FROM THE CALIPH'S HOUSE: A YEAR IN CASABLANCA

“The backstreet cafe in Casablanca was for me a place of mystery, a place with a soul, a place with danger. There was a sense that safety nets had been cut away, that each citizen walked upon the high wire of this, the real world.  I longed not merely to travel through it, but to live in such a city."

“Morocco, the lack of safety was an energizing force, but at the same time it was a constant concern. I had seen more accidents than I could count: car wrecks with people half dead lying on the ground, building sites where workmen had tumbled from scaffolding, children maimed by fireworks on a Sunday afternoon. For the first time in my life I became completely alert. In the West, you can drift from day to day in the knowledge that the society will protect you and your children.” 

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