| The North African country of Tunisia really could | | | | captured by the Jawas, is east of Tozeur at the |
| be classed as out of this world; the dune riddled | | | | Chott el Jerid. |
| nation provided the setting for the fictional planet | | | | The spaceport town of Mos Eisley, which was |
| Tatooine, Luke Skywalker's desert home planet, | | | | described by Obi-Wan Kenobi as a "wretched hive |
| that played a major role in several of the Star | | | | of scum and villainy" and is a hang out for |
| Wars movies. | | | | intergalactic smugglers and others from the space |
| Tunisia's sparsely populated land and dusty | | | | criminal underworld, is in actual fact Aijim - a |
| geography provided the perfect location to create | | | | sponge fishing town near the lle de Jerba. And if |
| Tatooine's dune seas, expansive desert wastes | | | | you'd want to see where Jedi knight Obi-Wan's |
| and rocky outcrop, and fans of the Star Wars | | | | remote home was located, you'll find it to the |
| books and films continue to make the pilgrimage | | | | north of Aijim, overlooking the Gulf of Gabes. |
| to Tunisia to visit this iconic setting. Nowadays | | | | Unless you can hitch a ride with Han Solo and |
| you're likely to find the locals a little more friendly | | | | Chewbacca on the Millennium Falcon, you'll |
| than the fictional Jawas, the pygmy-like | | | | probably have to find an alternative form of |
| scavengers of technology, or the hostile Sand | | | | transport. Thankfully, although Tatooine was in a |
| people (also known as Tuscan Raiders) with | | | | galaxy far, far away, Tunisia isn't; and Star Wars |
| whom Luke has a nasty run in with during the | | | | Fans will be pleased to hear that the country is |
| 'first' film, Star Wars - A New Hope. | | | | surprisingly well served from the UK; there are |
| Luke Skywaker's home was filmed in a subsoil | | | | plenty of cheap flights to Tunisia from airports |
| abode in the real troglodyte town of Matmata. | | | | around Britain. |
| Here, residents make their homes by burrowing | | | | Other destinations that are part of the Star Wars |
| into the soft sandstone and visitors can still see | | | | pilgrimage include: Tikal in Guatemala, which played |
| some of the murals and set dressing of the | | | | the Massassi Outpost - the rebel base on the |
| Skywalker's homestead from the movie at the | | | | fourth moon of Yavin; the Palazzo Reale near |
| Sidi Driss Hotel, in Matmata. | | | | Naples Italy, which played host to Theed Palace |
| The outside of the dwelling, where Luke observes | | | | on Naboo from the Phantom Menace, and Krabi |
| the two suns, is part a dry, white salt flat called | | | | Province, Thailand which provides the setting to |
| Chott el Jerid, that stretches across central | | | | Kashyyyk - the Wookie homeworld. |
| Tunisia to the oasis of Tozeur and Nefta. The | | | | So, grab your light sabre, don your Darth Vader |
| Dune Sea - the vast expanse of sand in which | | | | mask and use the force to follow the Star Wars |
| C3PO and R2D2 wander aimlessly is known as La | | | | pilgrimage around the world. |
| Grande Dune, and the gully in which they are | | | | |