Ksar Ouled Soltane is a fortified granary, or ksar, located in the Tataouine district in southern Tunisia. The ksar is spread out over two courtyards, each of which has a perimeter of multi-story vaulted granary cellars, or ghorfas. Like other ksour (plural of ksar) built by Berber communities Ksar Ouled Soltane, is located on a hilltop, to help protect it from raiding parties in previous centuries.
Ksar Ouled Soltane is one of the most picturesque and widely promoted Tunisian ksour
Named after the Ouled Soltane tribe (descendants of the Ouled Chehida), Ksar Ouled Soltane is one of the most picturesque and widely promoted Tunisian ksour with 287 well-preserved ghorfas, numerous steep stone staircases scaling four stories high (the fifth story no longer exists), and a large assortment of mounted wooden hooks used to hoist bags of agrarian goods to/from the ghorfas. The original (west) rectangular courtyard (60 x 40 m) was constructed in approximately 1699. The outer (east) courtyard was added in the mid-19th century CE with the unenclosed east end of the space functioning as the single exterior entrance into the ksar. Both courtyards continue to serve as a central gathering point for the local community, offering only very rudimentary tourist options. The entire complex was fully restored in 1993 and enjoys wide-scale popularity as a top-ranked tourism destination in southern Tunisia.
It was also featured in the film Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in some of the scenes used to represent the slave quarters of Mos Espa
Ksar Ouled Soltane looks so otherworldly, George Lucas chooses Southern Tunisia for filming four of the six Star Wars films. Fans will undoubtedly recognize Ksar Ouled as the slave quarters where Anakin Skywalker 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.
The entire complex was fully restored in 1993 and enjoys wide-scale popularity as a top-ranked tourism destination in southern Tunisia
