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Thanks Mikael, for once again being so informative and helpful.
I've found the Emir's reference now to "Khemedite Arabia" in my later English edition Land Black Gold, something I hadn't properly taken in before, despite this being among my favourites and most read books!

This would certainly suggest then, in fitting with Saudi Arabia and Hashemite Jordan/ Iraq, that the most-likely English language official name for Khemed would be "Emirate of Khemedite Arabia".
All this fits with the Thompson's comment on an expedition to "Arabia" (Destination Moon), and the Emir's own description of "Khemedite Arabia" talking to Tintin at Hasch Abaibabi Palace in Khemed.
As Wadesdah became our Khemed Emirate's capital (20 miles from the Emir's palace), is the town of the Emir's palace actually named in the books, or was the town also Hasch Abaibabi, have I missed this anywhere?

There is a very interesting, rough, Hergé sketch-map of the Khemed Emirate, in Benoît Peeters book Tintin And The World of Hergé on page.106 (in the Red Sea Sharks chapter).
There are several scribbled notes of ideas for towns and locations - Wadesdah, Ihnnacash (Port), etc. Its worth a look and study.
On this map the Emir's palace is shown but unnamed, and interestingly quite far from Wadesdah.
The fact that the Emir refers to "mon territoire" (my territory) in the earlier Land Black Gold certainly suggests an existing or established rule and region, if not yet an internationally accepted independent state, perhaps similar to the British Protectorates of Aden, Trucial Oman Gulf Emirates, etc?

Yeah, I think that's the name of the town as well, Hasch Abaibabi (Hasch el Hemm in French). But as far as I can see, this name also doesn't appear until the 1970s, being absent from the 1950 edition.


I know about that map and I agree, it's very interesting. However, I've always thought that the palace on the map refer to the hideout in the mountains, i.e. the one based on the real-life ancient town of Petra. According to the map, I also think that Khemed most likely is situated in the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, with Wadesdah on the western coast by the Gulf of Suez and the hideout of the emir in the north eastern part of the country, close to the eastern coast by the Gulf of Aqaba. That would put the ancient palace in the mountains close to the actual ruins of Petra, and it also fits with the markings on the map where the sambouk is attacked by the plane, where the raft shown on the cover of Red Sea Sharks is situated, where the Ramona meet the Shehezerade, and with the direction to Mecca pointed out (to the south).

Another interesting thing on that map is the narrow "panhandle" reaching up north from the oil fields in the centre of the country. I think this panhandle leads up to the Mediterranean port of Khemikhal (or Khemkhâh in French). Exactly what route the Speedol Star takes in Land of Black Gold isn't said, but it doesn't seem that they're using the Suez canal (nor circumnavigate Africa!) to get to the Red Sea, which means that they must be in the Mediterranean.

And going back to Cigars of the Pharaoh, however this time to the original version where Signor Oliveira da Figueira is said to live in the town of Suez, i.e. not far from his later home in Wadesdah, but up to the north-west in the Gulf of Suez.

The place Ihnnacash on the map isn't used in either of the albums, but surely the word itself must be part of the same Marol expression ("en dat in a kas", or "put that in your pocket!", roughly equivalent to "put that in your pipe and smoke it!", and used to shut down an argument) which became the name Endaddine Akass in Alph-Art?


Yeah, I think the early version of the emirate is that of a British protectorate - which actually makes Bab El Ehr a kind of freedom-fighter hero in the same version!

Moderator Note: Hasch el Hemm is a pun on the French abbreviation HLM (habitation à loyer modéré), or low-cost post-war social housing built in France and Switzerland.

Really good suggestions and interesting points on the geographical locations and likely regional setting for the Emirate, Mikael.
My take and thoughts on the map is almost identical to those you make here.

I think I agree now too that the Emir's "palace" shown in the east of the Emirate on this map, and unnamed, almost certainly represents the "Petra" inspired mountain temple hideout of the Emir in Red Sea Sharks (Jebel mountain region with Patrash Pasha's loyal tribe).

This map also suggests the closeness of Khemedite Arabia Emirate to Egypt, and therefore as you point out reasoned possible connections in Cigars of Pharaoh to Khemed from Egypt.

The reasonably accurate depictions on the map of Gulf of Suez, Red Sea, the Arabian coast leading down towards Jedda, Medina, Mecca, completely works with Khemed Emirate's location, and also fits in general geography with the British Palestine Mandate and Trans-Jordan above this area.

The likely political situation of the Emir ("Al-Khemed") ruling a small sized coastal Emirate under British Protectorate (similar to Aden and South Arabia, Trucial Emirates, Qatar, etc), with Shiehk Bab El Ehr as a rival and freedom fighter, all make the perfect ingredients for Khemed Emirate to be as lifelike as it is.

I tend to think too that Hasch Abaibabi is the name of the town as well as the Emir's palace, making me think perhaps that Hasch Abaibabi is the heartland and centre of the Emir's "Al-Khemed" tribe, the Jebel Kadheh region seems the home of Sheikh Patrash Pasha's tribe, and perhaps Wadesdah as the larger town expanding as a new capital is a more disputed area and less loyal to the Emir and his tribe (hence it being taken by Sheihk Bab El Ehr in Red Sea Sharks).

Regarding Khemikhal the port, I have always assumed this was situated on the Mediterranean sea, as with Haiffa in the earlier Land Black Gold.
It is interesting if not odd how Hergé has put the likely port on the Suez Gulf coast in the map sketch, however as already been pointed out, Red Sea Sharks was being made and planned before the redoing of the later Land Black Gold, so does explain any contradictions like this.
I love this map sketch of Khemed Emirate, and it would be great to see a clearly copied produced map from Hergé's original sketch and notes, and what we can define from the Khemed themed books and information.

A "hero" who forces his prisoner to walk on foot and then callously abandons him to the desert.

I agree, but it really makes no sense to have a port so close to Wadesdah and on the same coast. Also, the version on the map isn't really Khemkhâh yet but Ikemkah. And Hergé also has two versions of the name of the residential town of the Emir (but also on the coast), i.e. Hasche Elem and Ash Elem.


...while Khemikhal/ Khemkhâh probably lies south west of the Gaza strip on Palestinian soil (which would explain while Palestinian extremists have threatened to kidnap the Emir in Alph-Art).


Well, who's the hero and who's the villain lies in the eye of the beholder, I think. Tintin's a European like the British occupants so I guess Bab El Ehr automatically saw him as an enemy.

Another confusion i have with Herge's map sketch of Khemed Emirate and events in "Red Sea Sharks" is the location of the Jebel Kadheh mountains and region referred to at Wadesdah Airport strp (Red Sea Sharks, page.16, panel.4), and then the "Jebel" referred to by Oliveira da Figueira as the hideout of the Emir with Patrasch Pasha and his tribesmen (Red Sea Sharks, page.24, panel.6).
According to the map, and events from Wadesdah to the plane crash, this crash site was pressumably somewhere between Wadesdah and Hasch Abaibabi (50km on map) and yet also on "the southern edge of the Kadheh" the pilot reports (Red Sea Sharks, page.18, panel.10).
I assume this "Jebel" and this "Kadheh" are the same as the "Jebel Kadheh" in all these references and mentions, however this location on the western town coast of Khemed Emirate in the Suez Gulf just doesn't correspond with the "Jebel" mountain hideout and Roman temple set in the eastern region of Khemed (according to the Herge map)?
Also if the plane is leaving Wadesdah in Khemed for Beirut in Lebanon, it doesn't make great sense that it would have flown either south or even south east?
Perhaps the Khemed map sketch can't be read too literally, and is just ideas for Khemed locations, and thats why they don't all fit the final locations of the completed Red Sea Sharks.
I too think the port of Khemikhal fits much better in the Mediterranean sea in the north of Khemed, maybe near Gaza.
Having this main port so near Wadesdah on the map just doesn't make much sense to me either.

I agree, Linda. The bit about Jebel Kadheh (spelled Djebel Kadeïh in the original) is confusing. Maybe Jebel Kadheh is the middle part of Khemed, stretching from the western coast north of Wadesdah to the hideout in the northeast? And thus the southwestern coast on the Suez Gulf could indeed be called "the southern edge" as opposed to the coast on the Aqaba Gulf in the northwest.

As for the exact whereabouts of Patrasch Pasha, I suppose nobody really knew at the time but "Jebel Kadheh" was a good guess by da Figuiera. However, this time PP was in the northeast, not close to the western coast as in Cigars of the Pharaoh. BTW, the word "djebel" means "mountain" in Arabic if that's any clue.

Judging from the map, the northern part of Khemed consists mainly of desert, which is also where the oil fields are found. Land of Black Gold mentions two places in this desert, i.e. the town Tel Al Oued and the oasis Bir el Ambik. Maybe the've got other names in the English translation.

And as you point out, Linda, the airways are another confusing thing with that map. Mecca is clearly down in the south and then Beirut must be in the north, yet on the map the flight seems to come from the northwest. Anyway, this strange route can probably be satisfactorily explained by the visible panic and confusion caused by the burning motor and the imminent crash landing.

Well, this thread seems to have gone a bit OT, but since the history and geography of Khemed is so intertwined with the family and private life of Emir Mohammed Ben Kalish Ezab, I hope it's OK :-)

Moderator Note: As you, mct16 and Linda are doing such sterling work pushing back the frontiers of Tintinology in this area (for which thanks to you all!), it would be churlish to suggest that any of you have actually gone off-topic. To confirm this, it seemed easier to expand the topic than limit the discussion: the thread title has been expanded to broaden the remit!

The Happy Tintinologist Team

Mikael, I agree that although this topic has expanded, the interests and issues of the history, geography, culture, and tribes of Khemed Emirate are more than relevant to discussion of Emir Mohammed Ben Kalish Ezab (Al-Khemed) too!
I'm glad you understand and share my points on the Jebel Kadheh mountains and region.

If we are to agree and accept both the clues and evidence from both the Herge Khemed map, and The Red Sea Sharks, and Land Black Gold, then i like your suggestion of the Jebel Kadheh stretching across the middle of Khemed, below the oil fields, going east from outside Wadesdah to the north east of Khemed and the old Roman temple hideout near the Gulf of Aqaba.
At least this theory sort of neatly fits the map and books!

Another suggestion you make that intrigues me is the "panhandle reaching up north from the oil fields" on the map.
Do you mean by "panhandle" the gap or narrow strip in the middle of the oil fields continuing north off the top of the map? Do you pressume this reaches Khemikal in the north?

Back to the Emir's family, i often wondered which route Prince Abdullah and his retinue travelled from Khemed to adventually arrive in Marlinspike (Marlinshire, England) or Moulinsart (Belgium)?
I always assumed they were smuggled out north by land (perhaps to Beirut or Jordan?) or south east to Saudi Arabia!?
I wonder if the Emir's harem (Alph-Art) were with the Emir in the Jebel Kadheh hideout, or perhaps in temporary safe exile in Jordan or Saudi Arabia under Royal protection.

The Emir's hideout and remaining in Khemed with the protection of Sheikh Patrash Pasha and his tribesmen could really have been inspired by King Muhammad Al-Badr of Yemen in 1962-67 and the North Yemeni Royalist/Republican civil war, where King Muhammad Al-Badr was held-up in the northern mountain regions with loyal Royalist tribesmen!
I like the comparison and idea that this could be Herge's inspiration for the Emir's situation and circumstances in Jebel Kadheh.

Your suggestions regarding the air crash location on the southern edge of Jebel Kadheh, and being south or south east of Wadesdah, could be explained by the plane engine fire and having to make a strange detour to attempt to land safely, although the men at Wadesdah Airport (Red Sea Sharks, page.16. panel.4) do predict the bomb will explode over the "Jebel Kadheh", so i can only assume this has to fit your theory of the Jebel Kadheh region covering most the centre of Khemed Emirate.
Also just occurred to me, the pilot radios through to "Wadesdah Tower" at the airport (Red Sea Sharks, page.17, panel.12) that he's turning the plane around and heading back towards Wadesdah to try and land, due to the fire, so that really does better explain the plane being south facing and south flying when crashing on the "southern edge of the Kadheh"! Glad i found that, completely fits the map (again)!

Out of interest, where in the book/books is the town or place of "Tel Al Oued" actually mentioned.

It's mentioned in "Land of Black Gold", but is a town which the Thomsons are approaching before they realise that it is in fact a mirage.

mct16

Ah, thankyou mct16, that explains why i couldn't find "Tel Al Oued" in Red Sea Sharks.
So we can assume this town is probably a smaller desert town near the pipeline or between the oil fields and Wadesdah.
I'm glad the kindly Moderators have officially expanded this topic to cover the Emir, his family and life, and Khemed Emirate in general, as there are so many cross-over subjects and points.