Vaulted ghorfas
Four storeys and more.
Ian Sewell — CC BY 2.5 · نعيم قربوسي — CC BY 4.0 · نعيم قربوسي — CC BY 4.0
A fortified hilltop granary in the Tataouine region, one of the finest and best-preserved Berber ksour of southern Tunisia. A ksar here is not a palace but a communal storehouse where the tribe kept its grain and oil in vaulted cells called ghorfas. The ksar spreads over two courtyards, each ringed by rows of vaulted ghorfas stacked four or more storeys high, reached by narrow stone stairs with no railings. Some researchers date its earliest part to around 1699. It was built on a hilltop to protect it from raids in past centuries. It appeared in Star Wars: Episode I, standing in for the slave quarters of Mos Espa where the young Anakin Skywalker lived. Entry is usually free, and it is quiet except when tour buses arrive. The stairs are steep and unrailed, so watch children. It is visited with the village of Chenini on a day trip from Djerba or Tataouine.
Four storeys and more.
The heart of the ksar.
The film's slave quarters.
About 20 km south of Tataouine
A fortified communal store for grain and oil, with stacked vaulted cells called ghorfas, not a palace.