SALLAH
Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir is a passionate Egyptian excavator, guide, and Egyptologist widely known as 'the best digger in Egypt.' Portrayed by John Rhys-Davies, Sallah is Indiana Jones' most loyal sidekick and trusted friend throughout his globe-trotting adventures.
Cronologia
Biografia
Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir is a highly skilled Egyptian excavator, guide, and Egyptologist based in Cairo. Deeply charismatic, immensely strong, and self-described as 'the best digger in Egypt,' Sallah is Indiana Jones’ most loyal friend and primary contact in the Middle East. Famous for his booming baritone voice, Sallah frequently bursts into Gilbert and Sullivan operettas like H.M.S.
Pinafore when in high spirits. Throughout Indy's key expeditions, Sallah proves indispensable. In 1936, Sallah assists Indy in locating the lost city of Tanis, deciphering the Staff of Ra headpiece inscription, and braving the snake-infested Well of Souls to recover the Ark of the Covenant. In 1938, he joins Indy and Henry Jones Sr.
in Iskenderun to hunt for the Holy Grail, helping them intercept a Nazi convoy using his brother-in-law's vehicle. During World War II, Indiana Jones helps Sallah and his family emigrate to the United States. Settling in New York City, Sallah works as a taxicab driver while raising his extensive family. In 1969, Sallah remains a loyal friend, helping an aged Indy evade federal authorities, driving him to JFK Airport, and later welcoming him back home alongside his grandchildren.
Storia
Born in Cairo, Egypt in 1897 as the seventh born of a seventh born, Sallah was named after Salah al-Din. Hailing from a family that had scavenged Egyptian tombs for generations, Sallah claimed Bedouin ancestry and developed an interest in archaeology at an early age.
As a boy, he accompanied his father on Nile expeditions, helping record hieroglyphics and monument locations. When his father died in 1912, Sallah took on the burden of supporting his mother, four brothers, and six sisters. He first met Indiana Jones in 1913 while acting as a guide around the Great Pyramids.
Together, the pair entered Tutankhamun's tomb nearly ten years before Howard Carter's official discovery. During the 1920s, Sallah gained extensive field experience under Dr. George Reisner excavating the tombs of Mycerinus and Hetepheres, eventually earning a position at the Boulak Museum in Cairo. Though he claimed in his youth he would never have children, Sallah married his wife Fayah and raised nine children while cementing his reputation as Egypt's top excavator.
I PEZZI DI SALLAH
Evoluzione
Sallah’s character evolved from a young, reluctant guide into a master digger and devoted family patriarch. In his youth around 1913, Sallah insisted he disliked children and swore off family responsibilities. However, after marrying Fayah and raising nine children in Cairo, he fully embraced fatherhood, maintaining that loving children makes the world a softer place.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Sallah established himself as Egypt's top excavator and a vital ally against Nazi expansion. His life changed dramatically during World War II when Indiana Jones assisted his family in emigrating to the United States. Transitioning from the Egyptian desert to driving a taxicab in New York City, Sallah missed his high-adventure days. By 1969, as a warm grandfather, he retained his unshakeable loyalty to Indy, helping him one final time before taking his grandchildren out for ice cream.
Da Collezione
Sallah is a celebrated figure among Indiana Jones merchandise and action figure collectors. In 2023, Hasbro released a 6-inch scale Sallah action figure in the Indiana Jones Adventure Series based on his appearance in Raiders of the Lost Ark, featuring detailed photoreal sculpting of John Rhys-Davies, a shovel, and rope accessories.
Hasbro also included Sallah in its 3.75-inch Retro Collection line. In the LEGO domain, an updated Sallah minifigure was released in 2023 as part of Set 77013 (Escape from the Lost Tomb), featuring custom torso printing, his signature headwear, and a shovel accessory. For vintage collectors, the original 1982 Kenner Raiders of the Lost Ark Sallah action figure remains a prized retro grail.
Sallah cannot swim because he grew up surrounded entirely by sand and rock in Cairo.
