The Ksour of Tatouine

As the end of the trip draws nigh, I feel I should touch on one major omission in this travelog. This entry will be an informative little nugget with none of my usual ramblings on. I just want to share my new-found passion for Berber architecture with you.

At the hectic beginning of this trip, when I was buzzing around Southern Tunisia with fellow traveller Eva, we touched bases with Luke Skywalker’s home planet: Tatouine.

Tatouine itself is a rather unimpressive city in the deep South of Tunis. However around Tatouine one of the most unique architectonic feats of the Berbers can be visited: the ksour.

A ksar (plural ksour) is a traditional fortified granary built by the Berber tribes.

The fact that the thing that was fortified against attack was grain, not people and shops as in the medinas and bazaars, tells a lot about the priorities of the Berbers. Living in such harsh and unhospitable lands, their lives depended on the grain crops produced in good season.

Ksour were usually built on natural defensive positions - often hilltops. One such was the spectacular Ksar Ouled Soltane, which we visited. There was no need to fight against the crowds - we were the only people there.

A ksar consists of many ghorfas - long barrel-vaulted store rooms built of stone, gypsum and mud. The ghorfas are somewhat like caves with tiny doors opening to the central courtyard. Exhibit A: tiny door next to a big traveller. 

One ksar can have several courtyards, each entered through a single, fortified gate - or skifa.

The ghorfas are piled on top of eachother around the courtyard -usually ksour are three or even four storeys high. Entry to the upper levels of ghorfas is via very narrow stairs 

or even stepping stones sticking out of the walls.

The end result is one of the most unique architectonic structures I’ve seen. And very pleasing to the eye.

Oh, and apparently ksar Ouled Soltane was used as a set for some scene in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace. What can I say. Star Wars do seem to know how to pick their locations