Kara Ben Nemsi Effendi
Kara Ben Nemsi Effendi is a German TV series that aired on ZDF from October 1, 1973, to April 7, 1975. It has 26 episodes across two seasons. The show follows the adventurer Kara Ben Nemsi Effendi, a German hero inspired by 19th‑century explorers Richard Francis Burton and T. E. Lawrence, and stays faithful to Karl May’s Orient novels. The music was composed by Martin Böttcher, who had scored many Karl May films.
Karl Michael Vogler plays Kara Ben Nemsi, a multilingual, capable adventurer who travels the Near East with his black horse Rih. He is joined by his loyal guide and teacher of oriental customs, Hadschi Halef Omar, played by Heinz Schubert. Halef Omar looks out for Kara’s bold, risk‑taking plans.
The first season’s 13 episodes were filmed in 1972 in the Carpathian Mountains, Bulgaria, and Tunisia. The second season’s 13 episodes were shot in 1974 around Almeria, Spain, mainly for financial reasons. The series featured popular guest stars such as Ferdy Mayne, Heinz Baumann, Dieter Hallervorden, and Willy Semmelrogge.
In addition to the TV series, Kara Ben Nemsi appears in Karl May’s films. The complete series was released on DVD in 2006/2007, with a soundtrack CD by Martin Böttcher included in the second box.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:10 (CET).