A week after England gave Tunisia six good reasons to leave the World Cup, Lonely Planet bring us this article looking at seven good reasons to visit Tunisia, focusing on the highlights of this beautiful country including the best reason – for us GFFA lovers anyway – a visit to the Tatooine shooting locations of the original Star Wars and the prequels.
Go on set with Star Wars in Tunisia’s Saharan south
Tunisia’s stark desert landscapes look like they’re on another planet, but as it turns out, a galaxy far, far away is closer to home than you might have realised. Filmmaker George Lucas didn’t change much in the deserts of southern Tunisia when he used it as the set for the original Star Wars. Tatooine, home of the Skywalkers, took its name wholesale from the Tunisian town of Tataouine, and the cloaks with pointed hoods donned by many of the characters are essentially traditional Berber djellabas.
You can stay even stay in Luke’s childhood home at Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata. Four of the Star Wars films were partially shot in Tunisia, and some constructed sets are still in place but have been left to the elements: the almost 20 domed buildings at Mos Espa are the best preserved and still wonderfully intact. Pack your lightsaber.
