Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Midas Tümülüsü (Tumulus MM)
The Devil's Column
Weightlifting Hall of Fame
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
3 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
4 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
5 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Tunisia Tataouine Ksar Ouled Soltane

Ksar Ouled Soltane

A 15th-century granary that played the role of futuristic slave quarters in the world of 'Star Wars.'

Tataouine, Tunisia

Added By
ser flac
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Ksar Ouled Soltane   Panegyrics of Granovetter / CC BY-SA 2.0
Ksar Ouled Soltane   Panegyrics of Granovetter / CC BY-SA 2.0
Ksar Ouled Soltane   Nassima Chahboun / CC BY-SA 4.0
2002   erkiletian / Atlas Obscura User
Stacks of protected granaries   Ian Sewell
Staircases lead in and out of the granaries  
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Atop a gentle, sandy hill is the oval fortification of Ksar Ouled Soltane. Rounded, protected structures built completely of cracked, dry mud face the center of the castle-like granary, while steep outdoor staircases give the area the appearance of another world entirely.

Ksar Ouled Soltane looks so otherworldly, George Lucas chose southern Tunisia for filming four of the six Star Wars films. Fans will undoubtedly recognize Ksar Ouled as the slave quarters where Anakin and his mother lived in The Phantom Menace. Even more surprising for fans of Lucas' films, is that the area of Tunisia is actually called Tataouine, styled as Tatooine for the films.

Before Star Wars put Ksar Ouled Soltane on the tourist map in North Africa, the windswept buildings stood in relative isolation. Constructed by Amazigh people, the ghorfas, or stacked grain-holding buildings have survived the hot climate since the 15th century. Although they have now been abandoned for many years, the Ksar was built for protection from raids, and designed to remain cool during arid weather near the Sahara Desert.

The entire complex can be toured and explored on a visit to Tataouine. For the nerdier visitors, complete Star Wars tours of Southern Tunisia are offered by many locals.

Related Tags

Forts Star Wars Retro Tech Shops

Know Before You Go

Accessible from Tataouine by taxi

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Tunisia: The Sahara, Mosaics & Star Wars Relics

A Sahara journey through ancient oases, diverse culture, & delicious cuisine.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

serflac

Edited By

kostas1964ath, atimian, erkiletian, Michelle Cassidy

  • kostas1964ath
  • atimian
  • erkiletian
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

October 4, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://goafrica.about.com/od/tunisia/p/KsarOuledSolt.htm
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ksar_Ouled_Soltane
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tataouine
Ksar Ouled Soltane
P19
Tataouine
Tunisia
32.933441, 10.45171
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Guermassa

Guermassa, Tunisia

miles away

Matmata Underground Houses

Matmatat-Al-Qadimal, Tunisia

miles away

Hotel Sidi Driss

Matmatat-Al-Qadimal, Tunisia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tunisia

Tunisia

Africa

Places 19
Stories 2

Nearby Places

Guermassa

Guermassa, Tunisia

miles away

Matmata Underground Houses

Matmatat-Al-Qadimal, Tunisia

miles away

Hotel Sidi Driss

Matmatat-Al-Qadimal, Tunisia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tunisia

Tunisia

Africa

Places 19
Stories 2

Related Places

  • The wooden escalators at Macy’s are almost 100 years old.

    New York, New York

    Macy's Wooden Escalators

    A bit of retro transportation flair preserved in the world's largest department store.

  • Los Angeles, California

    Norton Sales Inc.

    Space program, pneumatics and more, bits and pieces, for movie sets or the common man.

  • Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

    Gettysburg Cyclorama

    A dramatic, 360-degree recreation of Pickett's Charge in the Civil War.

  • A battle for control of Atlanta’s rail lines, the Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama features tracks to remind viewers what was at stake

    Atlanta, Georgia

    Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama

    The Battle of Atlanta in 360 degrees, featuring a corpse that bears a striking resemblance to Clark Gable.

  • Moscow, Russia

    Borodino Panorama

    A 360 degree battlefield experience.

  • Fremont, California

    Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum

    This quaint archive of the silent era preserves and pays homage to a seminal moment in film history.

  • Cannons.

    Campeche, Mexico

    The Bastion of San Carlos

    This historic, pentagon-shaped fort houses the City Museum.

  • Play vintage pinball machines and video arcade games at the Appalachian Pinball Museum.

    Hendersonville, North Carolina

    Appalachian Pinball Museum

    This hands-on museum houses roughly 80 vintage pinball machines and arcade games.

    Sponsored by Henderson County Tourism Development Authority
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.