Dar Khalifa

For Tahir Shah's book, see The Caliph's House.

The Caliph's House
Dar Khalifa (Arabic)
Map
General information
TypeLarge historical private home in walled grounds
Architectural styleMoroccan
LocationAin Diab (suburb)
Town or cityCasablanca
CountryMorocco
Coordinates33°34′53″N 7°40′55″W / 33.5815°N 7.6819°W / 33.5815; -7.6819 (Ain Diab, Casablanca)
Current tenantsTahir Shah
Grounds5000m2
Website
www.thecaliphshouse.org

Dar Khalifa (Arabic: دار خليفة), or The Caliph's House, is a large, historical landmark and private home in walled grounds.[1] It is located in Ain Diab, an affluent suburb of Casablanca that was also host to a sprawling shanty town until the area was redeveloped.[2][3] Constructed in a traditional Moroccan style, with numerous "riads", or garden courtyards,[2][3] the property extends to some 5000 square metres, and is situated on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic shore. As its name suggests, the mansion was once owned by a wealthy Khalif or ruler.[1][3][4]

It is now home to the author Tahir Shah who is renovating the property,[1][4][5][6] and it will become the headquarters of the educational and cultural non-profit organisation, The Scheherazade Foundation.[6][7]

  1. ^ a b c Owens, Mitchell (30 March 2006). "Starting Over in a Caliph's Castle". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 December 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b Theroux, Marcel (25 July 2010). "Casablanca writ large". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Bedi, Nikki (Presenter) (2006). Tahir Shah, Casablanca (Video) (Television broadcast). Casablanca: Desi DNA. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  4. ^ a b Rhanem, Karima (22 May 2012). "The Caliph's House: a Magnet for Invisible Spirits". Morocco World News. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  5. ^ Ibnouzahir, Zineb (5 March 2018). "Vidéo. Légende urbaine: Dar Khalifa, un riad hanté au cœur d'un bidonville casablancais" [Video. Urban legend: Dar Khalifa, a haunted riad in the heart of a Casablanca slum]. Le360 (in French). Archived from the original on 7 March 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b Missana, Sergio (26 April 2023). "La Casa de Las Historias" [The House of Stories]. Literal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  7. ^ Webster, Jason (24 February 2023). "In search of the white house of Casablanca". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.