Category: Destinations

Even though Tunisia is the smallest country in Northern Africa, I think it has the most to offer. There are so many sites to see and adventures to be had; you won’t be scratching your head wondering what to see and do.

Beautiful landscapes which stretch for miles in the city of Douz, offers the opportunity to take a camel ride. Visit the amazing Troglodyte Caves of Matmata, you can have a look how local Tunisians live in these mind-blowing homes which are dug into the ground.

 

Holiday Hypermarket is a great way to organise a memorable holiday; with a comparison tool you can get an idea of the type of holiday you can have. With this ability to determine whether you want a trekking holiday, historical sightseeing, beach resort or a combination of these things, you are better able to pinpoint aspects such as your budget and requirements.

 

If you are interested in visiting ruins and finding out the history behind them, then why not visit Charthage, a Roman metropolis; it is a World Heritage Site located on the outskirts of Tunisia. It is also a fabulous photo opportunity if you are interested historical events and locations.

 

If you enjoy trekking combined with sightseeing, then this is the place to visit. A day-trip to Sidi Bou Said is a beautiful place to visit; the village is awash with blue and white houses. It’s a great place to haggle and buy treasured souvenirs; there are lovely places to sit and have lunch too.

 

Another World Heritage Site is the Holy City of Kairouan; this spiritual place is sacred in that it is known as “the city of 50 mosques”. It is absolutely stunning and will take your breath away. Raiders of the Lost Ark was filmed along these streets; depicting the Great Mosque, built during the 9th century.

 

Chak Wak Park is a great place to learn about historical events and religion. The artwork is outstanding and thought-provoking; the Red Sea and Noahs Ark are striking.

 

The famous Turkish baths of Hammamet are something to remember, take this opportunity to experience being pampered with invigorate massages and cold refreshing showers.

 

The beautiful beaches of Tunisia are ideal for relaxing after taking in the heading sights; the blue waters are crystal clear and inviting.

 

With Tunisia being a secular country, Christians, Catholics, Jewish for example are welcomed. In-fact, on the island of Djerba, you will find many synagogues and the area also dates back thousands of years ago. Tunisia is a friendly place to spend time and with the benefit of using Holiday Hypermarket to sort through the mundane tasks, such as hotel searches, hotels and day-trips all you have to do is look forward to is an amazing time in Tunisia.

Tunisia has become a popular tourist hotspot in recent years. The country, located in the north of Africa on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, has become famous for its mile long sandy beaches, historic ruins and exquisite cuisine.

This article will take a closer a look at 5 must see places in Tunisia.

 

1 – Tunis

Tunis, the capital city of Tunisia, can be found towards the north-eastern part of Tunisia by the Mediterranean Sea. With a population of only 700,000 people, Tunis is one of the smallest capital cities in the world.

The city is separated into two distinct parts – the old city, known as the Medina, and the new city, a modern city built on the outskirts of the Medina.

The Medina is the perfect location to go for a relaxing stroll and see the sights. It is full of mosques and ancient buildings that feature a unique blend of Mediterranean, African and Arabian architectural styles.

The Medina is also home to one of the largest markets in North Africa. A variety of different goods are available to purchase here, including rich silks, jewellery, perfumes, clothing, and more.

 

2 – Sidi Bou Said

Sidi Bou Said, a small village located 20km from Tunis, is one of the most picturesque villages in the world.

The village is packed full of tall, stone buildings with whitewashed walls and blue windows shades that stand out against the deep blue of the sky overhead. The village sits on a steep hill, too, with stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Bay of Tunis available at the top.

Exploring Sidi Bou Said is a treat. The village’s charm is infectious and its atmosphere is welcoming. Its unique architectural stylings are sure to leave a lasting impression, too.

 

3 – Dougga

Dougga is an ancient Roman city located in the north of Tunisia.

The city, over 2000 years old, is remarkably well preserved. Temples, statues, buildings and monuments stand tall, many of them as impressive today as the day they were built.

UNESCO classified Dougga as a ‘World Heritage Site’ in 1997, stating that it is the best preserved Roman city in North Africa. The city is a must see for lovers of history and culture.

 

4 – El Djem Amphitheater

The Tunisian city of El Djem is home to the El Djem Amphitheater, the largest Roman amphitheater in North Africa. During the 3rd century, 30,000 Roman spectators would sit in the amphitheater enjoying plays, chariot races, athletic events and gladiator fights.

Despite being over 1,700 years old, the El Djem Amphitheater is incredibly well preserved. Visitors are able to explore the amphitheaters tall walls as well as its labyrinth of underground tunnels.

A small museum can be found close to the amphitheater, too, with some of the best pieces of Tunisian art available for browsing.

 

5 – Holy city of Kairouan

Kairouan is the fourth most important holy city in the Muslim world after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. The city is full of ancient buildings and mosques as well as museums that teach the history of Islam over the ages.

The greatest sight in the city is the ‘Great Mosque of Sidi Oqba’, one of the largest mosques in the world. Built in 670AD, the mosque is stunning to behold. The outer walls are plainly styled while the insides are bestowed with lavish carpets and furnishings. A large museum filled with Islamic works of art can be found inside, too.

Kairouan is the perfect city to go for a relaxing stroll and see the sights. With over 50 mosques and dozens of ancient buildings, there’s something to see on every street.

 

Conclusion

Tunisia is quickly becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa, and it’s easy to see why. The city is filled with dozens of must see sights, of which the 5 listed above are amongst the best. Make sure to include them on the itinerary for any trip to Tunisia.

Star Wars was truly a classic movie series. It is rare to find someone over the age of 20 who has not seen the original Star Wars movies. It was one of the most successful series ever, and viewers enjoyed being taken to a galaxy far, far away, where everything was different. But in order to film Star Wars, the producers had to work with what they were given in this particular galaxy, as space travel for the purpose of filming a movie was not a financially viable option at the time.

As a result, several locations around the world look just a little too familiar to hardcore Star Wars fans. Though many different areas and landscapes were used to film Star Wars, much of the filming took place in Tunisia. Tunisia’s climate is dry and warm, which made it a perfect setting for the fictional planet Tatooine.

Star Wars fans will be happy to learn that they can visit the filming locations of Star Wars, scattered throughout the nation of Tunisia. If you allow yourself to get lost in the ambience of the area, it’s not too difficult to imagine that you are really on Tatooine.

One of the most popular filming locations in Tunisia is the site of Luke Skywalker’s home. Today, the building operates as a hotel. In order to attract tourism and ultimately bring in more foreign money, many Tunisian people have decorated the film sites with Star Wars memorabilia. If you are a Star Wars fan, and are willing to take a trip to Tatooine – oops – Tunisia, then read the rest of this article.

Hint: you can use the information in this article on Google Maps to see the Star Wars locations without having to travel there. Plus you can map it to see how to get there.

 

Matmata

Lars homestead interior

Lat/Long coordinates 33.54253,9.967341

For true Star Wars fans, this is the main attraction. Any fan would absolutely love to see the interior of the Lar’s homestead, but when they find out they can actually sleep there, they are happy as can be. The hotel, Sidi Driss, caters to fans by offering a Star Wars inspired menu, as well as a good selection of memorabilia from the movies.

 

 

Medenine

Anakin Skywalker’s home

Lat/Long coordinates 33.347272,10.492051

Tunisia is not a densly populated place, and there are only a few large cities. One of these cities is Medenine, which is considered the largest town in the southeastern region of Tunisia. Another granary, Ksar Madenine, was used in the Star Was films as Anakin Skywalker’s home.

 

 

Tataouine

Ksar ouled soltane

Lat/Long coordinates 32.788361,10.514989

If you’re wondering why the name Tataouine sounds so familiar, it’s because that’s where the fictional planet Tatooine got its namesake from! Although the town name played a key role in the movie, no shots were actually filmed there. Several shots were filmed in the surrounding areas/outskirts of the town, however. The main scene was from Episode I and featured a background shot of the local Ghorfa (grain storage building) located in Ksar Ouled Soltane, used in the movie as the Slave Quarters.

 

 

Tozeur

Located north west of Chott el-Djerid, Tozeur is a Tunisian oasis. This beautiful city is well shaded with thousands of palm trees, and is a popular tourist attraction. Within walking distance from the Sahara desert, Toezeur was the perfect place to film many Star Wars movie scenes.

Lars Homestead Exterior

Lat/Long coordinates 33.842823, 7.779038

While not located directly in Toezeur, the site of the Lar’s Homestead is close enough to the city to make a day trip to. Specifically, the site is located at Chott El Jerid, which is part of the salt lake flats, that stretch 5,000 km through Tunisia and parts of Algeria. In this environment, Luke’s home sticks out like a sore thumb – an igloo in the middle of a salt flat. This location of Luke’s house was only used for the exterior shots. There is no underground house here, although the crew dug craters near the house, to give the impression that there is more to the site than meets the eye.
This site should ideally be visited in the evening. As the sun sets, you can view an unbelievable sunset, with the profile of the little igloo the only building in site. This igloo has a lot of meaning for Star Wars fans. It was used a lot in the original trilogy, and was then destroyed. However, the producers realized that they needed it to film the newer movies, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. In Attack of the Clones, the funeral for Shmi Skywalker was held at the little igloo near Toezeur, and in Revenge of the Sith, the igloo made an appearance in the very last scene of the film.

 

 

Mos Espa

Lat/Long coordinates 33.994296,7.842677

Standing out like a sore thumb in the middle of the dessert is the set of Mos Espa. Many scenes in the Star Wars series were filmed at this location. The cool thing about this location is that almost everything has been left intact over the years. Most settings, like the Pod Racing area, the gates of Mos Espa, Watto’s shop, and many others, still contain many of the original props used in the movies. The Tunisian people have, for the most part, no knowledge of Star Wars, but they know that these locations keep the tourism money flowing, so they leave the sets intact.
If you remember the epic Jedi duel in episode I between Darth Maul and Qui-Gon Jin, you might recognize the mountains of sandstone located a few hundred meters from the set of Mos Espa. These protruding pieces of sandstone are called Yardangs, and are easily visible from most of the Mos Espa set.

 

Sith infiltrator landing site (Oung Jmel)

Lat/Long coordinates 34.015353,7.911444

Oung Jmel, better known to most as the Camel Head Rock, is located about 6km east of the set of Mos Espa. In the newer Star Wars movies, this setting was used to film Darth Maul arriving on Tatooine. This is where the Sith Probes were released, and it is also where the shot of Darth Maul flying over the cliffs in pursuit of Anakin and Qui-Gonn was filmed.

 

 

Juntland Wastes

Lat/Long coordinates 34.033572,8.281771

Sidi Bouhel, otherwise known as the Juntland Wastes, is located 23km north-east of Tozeur. Amazingly, this canyon was used in 9 shots in the Star Wars movies. The same canyon has been used to film The English Patient and Raiders of the Lost Ark, as well, but Lucasfilm used it the most, unnofficially dubbing it “Star Wars Canyon”.
The canyon itself is beautiful, even if you’re not a Star Wars fan. It is a narrow gorge with 200 foot cliffs, and a dry river bed running down the middle, all the way from Jebel Krefane. The gorge is significant in the movies, as this is the location that Luke is attacked by Tusken Raiders, and is then saved by Obi-Wan, and introduced to him for the first time. At the front canyon entrance, you might notice a familiar setting: the Sandcrawler parking lot. And just a bit further outside the mouth of the canyon, you’ll recognize the location of the Jawa massacre, committed by Imperial Stormtroopers.

 

 

Djerba

Djerba is an island in the Gulf of Gabes, off the coast of Tunisia. It is a popular tourist destination because of its sandy beaches, resorts, and beautiful hotels. It also boasts 2 Star Wars filming locations, both on the western side of Djerba.

Ben’s Hermitage

Lat/Long coordinates 33.740833,10.734951

Making its first and only appearance in Episode IV, Ben’s Hermitage (the house of Obi-Wan Kenobi) is one of the attractions on Djerba. Today, the building is used as a storage facility for local fishermen.

 

 

Toshi Station

Lat/Long coordinates 33.831411,10.747936

Located a few miles north of Ben’s Hermitage is the Tunisian temple, Sidi Jemour. In the Star Wars movies, this buildingwas seen as Toshi Station in Anchorhead. The only shot of this building happens when a Landspeeder heads into Anchorhead, en route for Mos Eisley.

 

 

Tunisia

As a nation, Tunisia is a beautiful place. Though it appeals to Star Wars fans in a special way, there is plenty to see here for anyone, even if you don’t like the movies. One of the best ways to explore Tunisia is to simply rent a car and start driving in a chosen direction. If you’re looking for an affordable, fun vacation, consider Tunisia today!