Set-Jetting: Star Wars Filming Locations To Visit In Tunisia

Tunisia is a popular country for its beaches, culture and beautiful architecture. However, it is also famous for hosting some of the most iconic Star Wars filming locations.

Meanwhile, set-jetting is a relatively new term, coined to reference the trend of traveling to filming locations in the world. In recent years, fans of TV series like Bridgerton and Game of Thrones have been exploring places used by producers for the shows. In this case, we look at some of the most iconic Star Wars locations that you can visit in Tunisia, including the fictional planet of Tatooine.

1. Star Wars film set on the planet of Tatooine (Tozeur, Tunisia)

Filming for Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace was carried out in a couple of places in Tunisia, most especially the Tatooine city of Mos Espa. The film sets still exist in a Tunisian desert, just waiting for Star Wars fans to visit. Admittedly, in many cases, the film sets are not true buildings and are simply façades created for the movie. However, fans will still enjoy visiting the place where young Anakin Skywalker lived and worked. In fact, you will also be able to see the “moisture vaperators” left here from the film.

2. Film set for Lars Homestead (Tozeur)

Located in the same area of Tunisia, the film set of Lars Homestead can be visited. Fans will remember that this is where Luke Skywalker grew up and the set was used in Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope, but has since been abandoned. The set was originally built for the first Star Wars movie and has since been used for the prequels. However, since then the set is starting to fall apart, so dedicated fans are working to restore Lars Homestead.

3. Hotel Sidi Driss, Tatooine (Tozeur, Tunisia)

Another popular film set in Tunisia is Hotel Sidi Driss which is also located in the fictional city of Mos Espa. Meanwhile, the film set looks like the local architecture with its Berber style and fits in well in the neighborhood. However, once filming was done, most of the décor used for the movie was removed from the building. However, in 1995, Philip Vannie, a French Star Wars fan, restored the frescoes in one of the hotel’s rooms.

4. Star Wars: Anakin and his mother’s slave quarters in Tatooine

When filmmaker George Lucas saw this building, it was what made him choose southern Tunisia for the Star Wars movies. The building is known as Ksar Ouled Soltane and it was originally a Bedouin granary in the 15th century. However, in the movie, The Phantom Menace, the building did double duty as the slave quarters that housed Anakin and his mother.

5. Matmata Underground Houses (Matmatat-Al-Qadimal, Tunisia)

The Berbers created underground homes in Matmata as a cool place to live in the hot and arid desert. However, the troglodyte homes turned out to be ideal as a film set for several Star Wars movies. In fact, the underground homes played the role of the home of Luke Skywalker’s uncle and aunt in the first movie, Star Wars: A New Hope. However, as many Berber people are now leaving this area, it is believed the underground homes will be destroyed by extreme flooding or drought, with no one there to fix them.

Visit some of the most iconic Star Wars filming locations in Tunisia this year and maybe watch the movies again to see them in action.