Ksar Ouled Soltane

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Multi-level ghorfas, as seen at Ksar Ouled Soltane in southern Tunisia.

Ksar Ouled Soltane (Arabic: كصر أولد سلطان) 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) created by North African Berber communities, Ksar Ouled Soltane is located on a hilltop, to help protect it from raiding parties in previous centuries.

Ksar Ouled Soltane is now a tourist destination, with visitors coming to see its well-preserved granary vaults. It was also featured in the film Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in some of the scenes used to represented the slave quarters of Mos Espa, where the character Anakin Skywalker lived as a boy.

source: Lonely Planet Tunisia, 3rd edition

[edit] External links

• Tunisia Trek: Exploring Ksar Ouled Soltane - video blog by Andy Carvin
• The Real Star Wars? - Associated Press article, videos and photo gallery featuring Ksar Ouled Soltane
• Quicktime VR image of Ksar Ouled Soltane

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