Tataouine

Submitted by editor on Wed, 03/24/2010 - 04:36

Tataouine

Tataouine
Ksar Ouled Soltane, near the city of Tataouine
Tataouine is located in Tunisia
Tataouine
Location in Tunisia
Coordinates: 32°55′32″N 10°26′39″E / 32.92556°N 10.44417°E / 32.92556; 10.44417Coordinates: 32°55′32″N 10°26′39″E / 32.92556°N 10.44417°E / 32.92556; 10.44417
Country Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia
Governorate Tataouine Governorate
Population (2004)
 - Total 59,346
Time zone CET (UTC1)

Tataouine (Arabic: تطاوين‎ Taṭāwīn), also transliterated as Tatooine, Tatahouine, Tatahouïne, Tatawin, Fum Taţāwīn, Fumm Tattauin, Foum Tatahouine, Fum Tatawin, or Foum Tataouine, from the Berber Tittawin, literally meaning Eyes, with the figurative meaning of Water springs (see Moroccan city of Tetouan), is a city located in southern Tunisia. It is the capital of the Tataouine Governorate. The below ground, "cave dwellings" of the native Berber population, designed for coolness and protection, render the city and the area around it a tourist and film makers attraction.

The district is famous for its ksour (fortified Berber granaries) including the picturesque Ksar Ouled Soltane, Chenini and Douiret. These abandoned settlements feature beautiful vaulted adobe buildings, or ghorfas.

On June 27, 1931, a meteorite of the rare achondrite type impacted at Tataouine; about 12 kg of fragments were found. The mineral of this meteorite was named Diogenite.

Tataouine's name became famous when George Lucas, who filmed the original Star Wars film in various locations of Tunisia (for example, the Lars Homestead, filmed at the Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata), named Luke Skywalker's fictional home planet Tatooine.

Tataouine appeared in the end of the movie The X-Files as Foum Tataouine, where an extraterrestrial viral experiment facility was held.

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