The island of Djerba hosted three filming locations for the Star Wars saga: near the corniche for Obi Wan's house, near Ajim for the exterior of Mos Eisley's cantina and in Sidi Jemour for Mos Eisley's astroport. It was in the region of Ajim, a small fishing village to the south-west of Djerba, that the scenes from Star Wars in Djerba were filmed, specifically in A New Hope, episode 4. A town with few tourists, 20 km from the "capital" Houmt-Souk. Here you can see the exterior of the cantina in the town of Mos Eisley, where Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi meet Han Solo and Chewbacca. Around ten kilometres north of Ajim, the mosque of Sidi Jemour (or Sidi Jmour), overlooking the Mediterranean Sea from a rocky promontory, appears in a scene from A New Hope. A splendid spot away from the crowds! 3 kilometres north of Ajim, on the coastal road leading to Sidi Jemour, you'll also see an old fisherman's cottage, which was home to Obi-Wan Kenobi during his exile on the planet Tatooine.
Departing from Djerba, some agencies offer tours following in the footsteps of Star Wars film locations, particularly the first trilogy of films released between 1977 and 1983, but also The Phantom Menace in 1999. The programme includes troglodyte dwellings, ksour and the Sahara desert, from Tataouine to Matmata. May the force be with you!
Desert shooting location in the Tozeur region
- © Lukasz Janyst / Shutterstock
✈️ Fly to Djerba!
Compare prices and book your plane ticket to Djerba!First stage: Djerba
The magnificent Dar Elbidha hotel
Book your room nowWhy this hotel? Firstly, there are very few hotels in south-west Tunisia. Secondly, this hotel is 2 km from Ajim, the village where most of the Star Wars scenes were filmed in Djerba. As its name suggests, it is a dar, a traditional Tunisian house. You'll appreciate the peace and quiet, the small swimming pool and the beautifully decorated rooms. A charming hotel at a very reasonable price.
Second stage: Ksar Hadada
Ksar Hadada still extends its ghorfas, one-storey granaries, which were used to keep provisions safe from looters, and also in anticipation of famine. It included cereals in the lower part and olive oil in the upper part, as well as olives and cheese. The rounded domes of the roofs and the arched buttresses supporting the walls are typical of Berber architecture. The site was also used as a backdrop for the filming of "Star Wars". In 1997, this fortified village was used as the setting for the slave quarter of Mos Espa, the mythical village of Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, in the film The Phantom Menace.
It was in this fortified village that George Lucas shot scenes from The Phantom Menace.
- © BTWImages / Shutterstock
At the entrance to the site, a sign indicates that Ksar Hadada was used to create the village of Mos Espa on the planet Tatooine, in the 1997 film "Star Wars the Phantom Menace".
- © Antoine Lorgnier / EASYVOYAGE
Ghorfas à Ksar Hadada
- © Antoine Lorgnier / EASYVOYAGESome practical information
Allow 2 hours' drive from Houmt Souk, 130 km away. Unfortunately, we can't stay at the Ksar Hadada B&B, which is currently closed for renovation. We therefore recommend that you drive to Chenini, just 30 minutes away, where you will find the charming Kenza residence. It's a great opportunity to visit this magnificent, well-preserved Berber ksar.
Where to stay near Ksar Hadada?
On the heights of the charming Berber village of Chenini, one of the last ksour still inhabited, the Kenza residence has converted old troglodyte dwellings into a gîte. Comfort may be a little spartan, but a change of scenery is guaranteed! This charming place, which can accommodate around thirty travellers in its converted caves, offers a breathtaking view of Chenini, its superb white mosque and its hill full of ghorfas, granaries storing food on two levels. Once you've lost yourself in Chenini's narrow, winding streets, come and enjoy a mint tea here, or a delicious lunch of delicious Berber specialities!
