George Lucas famously relied heavily on Tunisia´s atmospheric towns for many filming locations, and they´re mostly cluster in the deep south and on Djerba Island. What you'll see is a mix of actual backdrops and leftover film sets.
The most atmospheric base is Tozeur (pop. 41,000), about seven hours southwest of Tunis. From here you reach the salt flats of Chott el-Djerid, where the Lars Homestead exterior was filmed for A New Hope and revisited in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The dramatic nearby canyon of Sidi Bouhlel appeared as the Jundland Wastes. In The Phantom Menace and A New Hope. Beyond Star Wars, Tozeur is known for its distinctive brick medina Ouled el-Hadef and nearby mountain oases of Chebika and Tamerza.
Just west, Nefta (pop. 23,000), sits beside the Eriguet dunes where the main Mos Espa set was built for The Phantom Menace and partially reused for Attack of the Clones. Its signature natural sight is the lush “Corbeille” oasis depression.
Farther southeast in Matmata (pop. 2,000), about 5½ hours from Tunis, its troglodyte courtyard houses are the main draw—and one of them, the Hôtel Sidi Idriss (pictured here) served as the interior of Luke Skywalker’s home in A New Hope and again in Attack of the Clones. Even without the film connection, Matmata’s underground architecture is unique in North Africa.
Continuing south, Tataouine (pop. 70,000), just under seven hours from Tunis, has ksour (fortified granaries), especially Ksar Hadada, which feature in The Phantom Menace as parts of Mos Espa’s slave quarters. The wider Tataouine region is dotted with spectacular Berber hilltop villages and desert landscapes. (And yes, this is where the name of Luke and Anakin´s home planet Tatooine comes from.)
Northwest of Tataouine, Medenine (pop. 79,000), roughly six hours from Tunis, has Ksar Ommarsia, which also appeared in The Phantom Menace, as part of Anakin’s neighborhood. Otherwise there’s not all that much to see here, but it is strategically located en route to Djerba.
Speaking of which, Djerba´s fishing town of Ajim (pop. 24,000) doubled as Mos Eisley in A New Hope, including exterior shots of the cantina and docking-bay streets.
May the road trip be with you!
Read more in my post The Tug of Tunisia, and 14 of its Top Destinations.
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