Samir Lama Memorials

In southwestern Egypt, in the endless stretches of the Sahara Desert, there lies one of the most difficult scavenger hunts in the world. Dotted throughout the ceaseless swaths of sand are various memorials dedicated to the late Egyptian actor Samir Lama, placed throughout the Sahara at unsuspecting locations.

Samir Lama was an Egyptian actor known for his roles in Egyptian films such as Storm over Petra, The Treasure of Happiness, and Valley of Death, most of which were shot in the deserts of southwestern Egypt. Lama was also a desert explorer, credited for discovering what is now known as Lama-Monod Pass in southwestern Egypt with his colleague, Théodore Monod.

After Lama’s death in 2004, his wife, Walli, and a group of friends placed their memorials in the most fitting location possible: in the middle of the Sahara, at Lama-Monod Pass itself. Located on the remote Gilf Kebir Plateau (translating to “The Great Barrier Plateau”) miles away from any civilization, there are multiple memorials to Samir Lama, hidden from plain sight and often covered by sand.