**Background and Family**:
– Born into the saadat of Paghman, Afghanistan
– Ancestral titles from British Raj during the Great Game
– Mother of Zoroastrian Parsi descent, father an Indian Sufi teacher
– Grandfathers were respected literary figures
– Descended from Afghan warlord Jan Fishan Khan
– Born in London, raised in Kent
– Family lived in Langton House, once owned by Lord Baden-Powell
**Education and Writing**:
– Attended Rose Hill Preparatory School and Bryanston School
– Learned to fly at 17 and obtained FAA Private Pilots License
– Studied African dictatorships at university
– Prolific author of books, documentaries, and academic articles
– Notable works include ‘Trail of Feathers’ and ‘In Arabian Nights’
– Co-wrote IMAX film ‘Journey to Mecca’
**Documentaries and Influences**:
– Presented documentaries on National Geographic TV and other channels
– Themes of quests and exploration in his documentaries
– Documentaries include ‘The Search for King Solomon’s Mines’
– Influenced by Doris Lessing and aunt Amina Shah
– Fascinated by works of Bruce Chatwin and classic explorers
– Close friendship with explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger
**Personal Life and Advocacy**:
– Moved to Morocco in 2003 with wife and children
– Resided in a haunted mansion in Casablanca, inspiring ‘The Caliph’s House’
– Advocates for cultural bridge between East and West
– Established the Qantara Foundation to promote the East-West connection
– Lectures on the legacy of science in medieval Islam
**Literary Engagements and Media Appearances**:
– Speaker at the Wigtown Book Festival 2012
– Involved in the Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival
– Featured in ‘One Pair of Eyes: Dreamwalkers’ (1970)
– Co-writer credit on IMDB for ‘Journey to Mecca’
– Authored travel guides for Morocco and India
-Official Website is Tahir Shah
Tahir Shah (Persian: طاهر شاه, Gujarati: તાહિર શાહ; né Sayyid Tahir al-Hashimi (Arabic: سيد طاهر الهاشمي); born 16 November 1966) is a British author, journalist and documentary maker of Afghan-Indian descent.
Tahir Shah | |
|---|---|
 Tahir Shah in 2021 | |
| Born | 16 November 1966 London, England, United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Writer, documentary maker |
| Subject | Travel, exploration, Arab World, cross-cultural studies |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Shah family |
| Website | |
| tahirshah | |