Star Wars is one of the most popular science fiction series in history and millions of fans across the world have become entranced with its enticing stories, mesmerized by its otherworldly movies, and moved by its believable characters.
The Star Wars first became popular thanks to the movies directed and written by George Lucas.
These movies took viewers to a galaxy very different from our own – with strange creatures, unthinkable powers, advanced technology, and much more.
Fans instantly fell in love with this fantastic science fiction series and the original Star Wars movies then spawned an entire media franchise that is even more popular today than ever.
If you’ve ever watched the movies you know that the distinctive settings truly make the movie believable, however they are not as otherworldly as you may think. Many of the scenes in the Star Wars movies were actually shot in several locations around Tunisia and can be visited today.
This sandy Mediterranean country was the perfect location for Tatooine, and many other crucial settings.
If you are a movie buff, or a Star Wars fan, then consider traveling to these locations when you visit Tunisia so you can see the actual settings for several scenes in the Star Wars movies:
La Grande Dune
This is where, in Episode IV, R2-D2 and C-3PO crashed. It was termed the Dune Sea in the Star Wars movies and La Grande Dune is also where Ben Kenobi’s hut was located.
Chott El-Gharsa
In the northern part of Tunisia is Chott El-Gharsa where several shots were filmed. You’ll find the place that Darth Sideous first appeared as well as the place where the pod-races took place Seonesia.
Also in Chott El-Gharsa is a place called the Yardangs which are actually sandstone rocks that look like shark fins sticking up out of the sand. This is where Qui-Gonn and Daurth Maul first battled on Tatooine.
Mos Espa and Anakin’s House
Near the Yardangs mentioned earlier is the place where Anakin’s slave house was located as seen in Episode One. Additionally a few hundred meters from his slave house is where the Mos Espa set was located. The Mos Espa set is where the Pod-racing arena was as well as the Sebulba Café, market place, and also Jira’s Nook.
Juntland Wastes
East of Tozeur you’ll find the Juntland Wastes. This is the location for two main scenes in the Star Wars movies. First where R2-D2 was captured by the little Jawas, second when Luke and Obi-Wan met for the first time.