A traveller's reflection: Tunisia 2008 - 03 Star Wars Filming Locations…

"Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts..." - Charles Dickens

(The Berber dwellings in Tataouine)

Day 03: 11 March 2008

(Sfax – Matmata – Tataouine - Gabes)

Sfax is on the east coast of Tunisia at the northern shore of the Gulf of Gabes, approximately midway on the highway between Tunis and the border with Libya. The town was built on the site of two small settlements of antiquity, Taparura and Thaenae, and grew as an early Islamic trading centre for nomads. It was temporarily occupied by Sicilian Normans and by the Spanish, and it later served as a stronghold of the Barbary pirates.

(Heavy traffic early in the morning)

(Leaving the Kasbah of Sfax)

After a simple breakfast in the hotel, we drove out of Sfax towards Matmata and Tataouine. The driving distance between Sfax to Tataouine is about 270 km and would take us about 3 hours drive depending on the road conditions. On the way to Tataouine, we stopped in the the town of Gabes and visited the central mosque and the spice souq.

(Vast olive and fruit plantations)

(Barbequed lamb on display)

(Local scene of overloading lorries)

(Beware of cattle on board)

Gabès is a city located on the coast of the Gulf of Gabès. It is famous for its attractive beaches and unique seaside Oasis. The abundance of attractions available in Gabès make it a must-visit spot in Tunisia. We had lunch at a local restaurant and the restaurant owner had packed a large portion of roasted chicken for the road. We noticed that Tunisian people are friendly and kind. They don't hesitate to offer advice or help everywhere we go. We will come back to Gabes tonight after our day-trip to Matmata and Tataoine.

(A mosque en-route Gabes)

(Another mosque along the route)

(Masjid al-Jame al-Jadid)

(Nouvelle Mosquee de Jara under construction)

(Local products in the market)

(Visiting the spice market in Gabes)

(A variety of spices at the souq)

(A big portion of roasted chicken)

From Gabes, we drove to Matmata, a small town in southern Tunisia. Matmata is best known for its underground cave or troglodyte structures, which house some of the local Berber population. Undoubtedly Matmata's most famous building is the Hotel Sidi Driss, which served as the Lars Homestead and therefore the home of Luke Skywalker and his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru Lars in the Star Wars movies.

(A good tarmac road all the way)

(The road run through wild hill country)

(A signage to Matmata)

(A long and winding desert road)

(Barren and arid rocky mountain)

(A steep climb to the viewpoint)

(At the Matmata panoramic viewpoint)

(Our reliable rented car, a Renault)

(Next destination is Tataouine)

If you are a fan of the Star Wars film series, then you are probably aware that main character Luke Skywalker hails from the planet of Tatooine, a dusty desert world inhabited by strange creatures and presided over by twin suns. But you might not be aware that Tatooine is a real place, brought to life by real-world locations in Tunisia in an area known as Tataouine. The majority of desert scenes in the original Star Wars were filmed in Tunisia, with subsequent films in the series also returning to shoot footage in the country. Many of the original sets used to film Star Wars in Tunisia still remain standing today and have become some of the most popular attractions for tourist

(An underground hotel in Matmata)

(Souvenirs sold by the road side)

(Hotel Matmata, a favorite tourist hotel)

(A typical berber dwelling)

From Tataoiuine we drove on towards the Libyan border. As we neared the border there were many military posts heavily guarded by armed soldiers along the route to the border. While much of Tunisia is safe to visit, including the capital Tunis and much of the north of the country, much of the south and the western border is still considered dangerous for tourists, because of terrorism or military operations. Travel advisory alert is to completely avoid travel to within a 30 km radius of Tunisia’s Southern border with Libya. The road to the border is often closed to all traffic because of serious security situations.

As our car was with a local number plate we were passed as locals until we were stopped at a road block nearer to the border and asked to turn back!