In the tradition of A Year in Provence and Under the Tuscan Sun , acclaimed English travel writer Tahir Shah shares a highly entertaining account of making an exotic dream come true. By turns hilarious and harrowing, here is the story of his family’s move from the gray skies of London to the sun-drenched city of Casablanca, where Islamic tradition and African folklore converge–and nothing is as easy as it seems….

Inspired by the Moroccan vacations of his childhood, Tahir Shah dreamed of making a home in that astonishing country. At age thirty-six he got his chance. Investing what money he and his wife, Rachana, had, Tahir packed up his growing family and bought Dar Khalifa, a crumbling ruin of a mansion by the sea in Casablanca that once belonged to the city’s caliph, or spiritual leader.

With its lush grounds, cool, secluded courtyards, and relaxed pace, life at Dar Khalifa seems sure to fulfill Tahir’s fantasy–until he discovers that in many ways he is farther from home than he imagined. For in Morocco an empty house is thought to attract jinns, invisible spirits unique to the Islamic world. The ardent belief in their presence greatly hampers sleep and renovation plans, but that is just the beginning. From elaborate exorcism rituals involving sacrificial goats to dealing with gangster neighbors intent on stealing their property, the Shahs must cope with a new culture and all that comes with it.

Endlessly enthralling, The Caliph’s House charts a year in the life of one family who takes a tremendous gamble. As we follow Tahir on his travels throughout the kingdom, from Tangier to Marrakech to the Sahara, we discover a world of fierce contrasts that any true adventurer would be thrilled to call home.

From the Hardcover edition.

塔希爾•沙阿，記者、紀錄片製作人和作傢。齣身阿富汗名門，從小在摩洛哥長大，成年後在英國求學，兼具東西方文化背景。目前為止已經齣書十餘本並拍攝有若乾部紀錄片，他還經常在多種期刊雜誌上發錶文章和學術論文並為《華盛頓郵報》等報紙撰寫書評。他的作品已經被翻譯成十四種語言。《哈裏發的神殿》被美國《時代周刊》評選為年度十佳圖書之一並被英國BBC第四廣播電颱的《每周一書》欄目選用。

沙阿是積極搭建“東西方橋梁”的倡導者。9/11事件後沙阿投入大量時間和精力緻力於構建“文化之橋”並推動這一運動的發展。

沙阿一傢至今依然平靜而滿足地生活在卡薩布蘭卡。