Matmata ( ar, مطماطة '; Berber: ⵎⴰⵜⵎⴰⵜⴰ) is a small Berber speaking town in southern

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. Some of the local Berber residents live in traditional underground " troglodyte" structures. In 2004 it had a population of 2,116. The structures typical for the village are created by

digging Digging, also referred to as excavation, is the process of using some implement such as claws, hands, manual tools or heavy equipment, to remove material from a solid surface, usually soil, sand or rock on the surface of Earth. Digging is actu ...

a large pit in the ground. Around the perimeter of this pit artificial caves are then dug to be used as rooms, with some homes comprising multiple pits, connected by

trench A trench is a type of excavation or in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a wider gully, or ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit). In geology, trenches result from ero ...

-like passageways.

History

It was not generally known until 1969 that there were regular settlements in this area besides wandering nomadic tribes. Matmata, Tunisia

That year, intensive rains that lasted for 22 days inundated the troglodyte homes and caused many of them to collapse. In order to get help from the authorities, a delegation was sent to the community center of the region in the town of

Gabès Gabès (, ; ar, قابس, ), also spelled Cabès, Cabes, Kabes, Gabbs and Gaps, is the capital city of the Gabès Governorate in Tunisia. It is located on the coast of the Gulf of Gabès. With a population of 152,921, Gabès is the 6th largest ...

. The visit came as a surprise, but help was provided, and the above-ground settlement of Matmâta was built. However, most of the people continued their lives in re-built underground homes, and only a few of the families moved to the new surface dwellings. Today, Matmata is a popular tourist attraction, and most of the population lives on tourism and folklore exhibitions in their homes.

In popular culture

*The Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata was used in 1976 as a filming location forth in '' Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope'', in which it featured as the home of

Luke Skywalker Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The E ...

, his Aunt Beru Lars and Uncle Owen Lars on the planet

Tatooine Tatooine () is a fictional desert planet that appears in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is a beige-colored, desolate world orbiting a pair of binary stars, and inhabited by human settlers and a variety of other life forms. The planet was first ...

. The hotel is designed as a traditional Berber troglodyte underground building. It was featured again in the 2002 prequel film '' Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones''. * Two of '' Call of Duty: Finest Hours missions take place on the outskirts of Matmata, one involving destroying a radio mast, and another a German fuel depot. * One of ''

Call of Duty 2 ''Call of Duty 2'' is a 2005 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in most regions of the world. It is the second installment of the ''Call of Duty'' series. Announced by Activision on April 7, ...

s missions and multiplayer maps takes place in Matmâta as part of North African Campaign. * Film ', an adaptation of the book from Swiss author Hans Ruesch starring Antonio Banderas and

Freida Pinto Freida Selena Pinto (born 18 October 1984) is an Indian actress who has appeared mainly in American and British films. Born and raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra, she resolved at a young age to become an actress. As a student at St. Xavier's Coll ...

References

External links

A travel report from Matmata

The Real Star Wars?
- Associated Press article, videos and photo gallery about Matmata by

Andy Carvin Andy Carvin is an American blogger and former senior product manager for online communities at National Public Radio (NPR). He accepted a position at First Look Media in February, 2014. Carvin was the founding editor and former coordinator of th ...

Matmata has many of the best examples of troglodyte architecture in the world.

Visitors' guide to Hotel Sidi Driss
{{Authority control Populated places in Gabès Governorate Berbers in Tunisia Communes of Tunisia