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The Caliph's House : A Year in Casablanca

Tahir Shah

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The Caliph's House : A Year in Casablanca

by Tahir Shah
Save up to 30%
Compare to estimated retail price: S$31.40  

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The Caliph's House : A Year in Casablanca - Thryft
The Caliph's House : A Year in Casablanca - Thryft

Escape to exotic Morocco, with jinns and renovation chaos.

The Caliph's House is a must-read for anyone interested in Morocco and its culture. The author's vivid descriptions of local traditions and customs, combined with the challenges he faced trying to renovate an old mansion, make for a funny and engaging read. The book's most unique aspect is undoubtedly its focus on jinns, the invisible spirits believed to be present in the house, and the various exorcism rituals performed to keep them at bay. If you are looking for an entertaining account of an adventurous family's move to a foreign land, this is definitely the book for you.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Sale

The Caliph's House : A Year in Casablanca

by Tahir Shah
Save up to 30%
Compare to estimated retail price: S$31.40  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

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This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9780553383102
Author: Tahir Shah
Publisher: Bantam
Date of Publication: 2006-12-26
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Travel, Biographies & Memoirs
Related Topics: Travelogue, Adventure, Memoir, Biography, Biography Memoir, Memoir
Goodreads rating: 3.97
(rated by 7748 readers)

Description

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.
 

Escape to exotic Morocco, with jinns and renovation chaos.

The Caliph's House is a must-read for anyone interested in Morocco and its culture. The author's vivid descriptions of local traditions and customs, combined with the challenges he faced trying to renovate an old mansion, make for a funny and engaging read. The book's most unique aspect is undoubtedly its focus on jinns, the invisible spirits believed to be present in the house, and the various exorcism rituals performed to keep them at bay. If you are looking for an entertaining account of an adventurous family's move to a foreign land, this is definitely the book for you.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

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