A pilgrimage through 'Star Wars' filming locations in Tunisia

  • Film set props - vaporators - in the desert (photo: E. Lehmann)
    Look like a real Jedi: they look like two wooden rockets, but fans will recognise the moisture vaporators in use on planet Tatooine: they were left behind to show that this was once the location of the spaceport of Mos Espa, a "Star Wars" settlement. Visitors can take pictures of themselves wearing an "original Jedi cloak" – at least that's what the souvenir sellers claim they are
  • Sand dunes outside the town of Mos Espa (photo: E. Lehmann)
    Sand dunes threatened Mos Espa: Star Wars fans around the world raised money and managed to save the filming location of Mos Espa from sinking. Tons of sand were shovelled away with excavators. Now fans and tourists can keep on visiting the hometown of Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader
  • Tourists in Mos Espa in front of a round dome (photo: E. Lehmann)
    Tourists the centre of attention: very few visitors make the trek these days to the film city of Mos Espa in the remote south-west of Tunisia, so local souvenir dealers tout their goods as soon as anyone shows up. French tourists Yvonne and Francois Boisson were nonetheless eager to visit the set. Huge Star Wars fans, they follow the footsteps of Luke Skywalker
  • Vendor outside a cave-like structure (photo: E. Lehmann)
    Working in a foreign galaxy: working for over 30 years in tourism, souvenir merchant Salem Ben Said has spent many of them in another galaxy: on the planet Tatooine, where the city of Mos Espa is located in the film. Among other souvenirs, he sells small dried scorpions and jewellery
  • Sidi Driss, the white underground hotel in Tunisia (photo: E. Lehmann)
    Where it all began: this is where the very first "Star Wars" movie was shot. The architecture of the hotel Sidi Driss, built into the earth, is not uncommon in Matmata, a small desert town in central Tunisia. The building technique offers protection from the heat. But when filmmaker George Lucas discovered it, he must have felt like he had just landed on another planet
  • Poster from original Star Wars movie (photo: E. Lehmann)
    Mandatory stop for every Star Wars pilgrim: in the first movie of 1977, the young Luke Skywalker lives with his uncle and aunt in this house. The photograph on the wall shows a familiar scene that took place in the dining room of the Skywalkers. Luke grew up there – another reason why the hotel Sidi Driss is a must-stop for all Star Wars fans
  • Tables inside Sidi Driss hotel (photo: E. Lehmann)
    Mandatory stop for every Star Wars pilgrim: in the first movie of 1977, the young Luke Skywalker lives with his uncle and aunt in this house. The photograph on the wall shows a familiar scene that took place in the dining room of the Skywalkers. Luke grew up there – another reason why the hotel Sidi Driss is a must-stop for all Star Wars fans
  • Pipes in the white walls of Sidi Driss (photo: E. Lehmann)
    Run-down props: Plastic pipes, blades, buttons: these props are parts of a spaceship left over from the film shoot. Today, the paint is peeling off and, like the whole hotel, they're a bit shabby. But that adds unique charm to the town
  • Lightsabre on a table in Tunisia (photo: E. Lehmann)
    This lightsabre is out of order: like any true Jedi, Luke Skywalker had a lightsabre. Although it looked elegant and futuristic in the film, the prop was nothing more than a plastic rod emitting croaking noises. This one stopped lighting up years ago. The hotel's walls are covered with photos. The one on the bottom left shows Star Wars creator George Lucas and his team in 1975
  • Man inside the white Sidi Driss hotel used as Star Wars film set (photo: E. Lehmann)
    Guardian of the holy site: today, Masoud Rashid is often alone in the hotel Sidi Driss. He has been managing it for many years and still cherishes it and cares for it. He fondly remembers when the big crews showed up to shoot the movies, transforming the whole region for a few weeks. The latest Star Wars movie was shot in Abu Dhabi – officially for security reasons. Author: Elizabeth Lehmann