Tunisia Ksar Ouled Soltane, Tunisia

Note: This location is supposed to be a "Star Wars Movie Location", but it's actually not, from what we heard and read. We even didn't find any evidence of being it a former movie set.

The Ksar Ouled Soltane is a village with approximately 1,000 residents located in the Tataouine Nord delegation within the Tataouine Governorate in southern Tunisia. Situated at an altitude of about 410 meters above sea level, approximately 23 km southeast of Tataouine, the village is set in semi-desert terrain. At the outskirts of the village stands one of the most impressive storage fortresses (ksour) in the country.

Historically, the village played a significant role as a crucial station in the caravan trade at the northern edge of the Sahara. Today, tourism is the primary economic driver for the village.

The history of the village, like many regions inhabited by Berbers in the Maghreb, lacks written records. The inhabitants led a traditional, harsh, and austere lifestyle, continuing well into the first half of the 20th century. Subsequently, many families migrated to urban areas.

The most notable attraction in the village is the Ksar, a structure constructed from rammed earth, consisting of two fortified courtyard complexes with multi-story, vaulted storage chambers (ghorfas). The entrance doors to the approximately 400 chambers were accessed through stepping stones, typically made from movable palm trunks with notched steps, ladders, or built-in stairs. These chambers served as storage spaces for various supplies such as grains, oil, dried beans, lentils, dates, as well as household and work tools and weapons for the semi-nomadic (transhumant) families of the village. Additionally, caravans traveling along the predominantly south-north trade routes often passed through, using the Ksar as a secure resting and storage place.

A wide angle lens would be good.

Easy to get here, just follow the navigation system.