The camel's neck
Carved by the wind.
Barbaralandi76 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Habib M'henni — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Habib M'henni — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sara ka — CC BY-SA 4.0
A natural rock in the desert north-west of Tozeur, carved by the wind into the shape of a camel's head and neck, which gives it its name, Ong Jemel, the camel's neck. It stands on a rocky plateau looking over sand dunes and a flat plain running to the horizon. The area became world-famous after filmmakers chose it for desert scenes: parts of The English Patient were shot here, and the Mos Espa town set for Star Wars was built nearby in the late 1990s. The set's houses and domes still stand among the dunes, and visitors wander between them taking photos, though drifting sand covers parts of it and parts of it have had to be dug out over the years. It can only be reached by 4x4, usually on a tour from Tozeur or Nefta, and is at its best just before sunset, when the dunes change colour. Entry is free, and vendors may offer short camel rides.
Carved by the wind.
A set among the dunes.
Over the dunes.
Nefta desert, about 30 km north-west of Tozeur
One of the best-known sites is the Mos Espa set near the Ong Jemel rock north-west of Tozeur, reached by 4x4.