Ksar Hadada

Ksar Hadada (Arabic: قصر حدادة), sometimes known as Ksar Hedada, is a village in southeastern Tunisia. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace was filmed here.[1][2][3] The population at the 2004 census was 1298,[4] and 1142 in 2014.[5]

Center of Ksar Hadada village in 2016.

Geography

Ksar Hadada is surrounded by a mountain range. The village is also home to a valley between 25 and 50 meters deep called Gattar.

Fossils found in Ksar Hadada

Several fossils have been found in and around the village.

Climate

The climate is semi-arid, as the Sahara is only fifty kilometers away, and rain is rare but abundant when it does occur. Temperatures can reach 48°C during the day in summer and go down to 0°C at night in winter.

Architecture and education
Ksar Hadada public library

A mosque was built in the 1950s. There are also two cafés, a post office, a library, a football stadium and a dozen shops.

The village has a kindergarten and a primary school. On the other hand, the ksar does not have a middle or high school, but there are relationships established to link the village with the two middle schools and two high schools of the town of Ghomrassen.

Politics

Government

Ksar Hadada is run by a mayor and a village council. Seeing as almost all local government is located in Ghomrassen, projects concerning the village are discussed with the mayor of Ghomrassen and the town's council, and occasionally with the governor of Tataouine.

Mayor From To Political party
Mohamed Yahiaoui circa 1991 2011 Democratic Constitutional Rally
2011-2014: no mayor, only the village council
Tarek Yahiaoui 2014 2016 Independent
Abdelmonem Yahiaoui 2016 incumbent Independent

Elections

Election Year First place Second place Participation Ref.
Presidential 2014 Moncef Marzouki 91.11% Beji Caid Essebsi 8.22% 61.53% [6]
Legislative 2014 Ennahda 63.09% Chaâb Yourid (independent list) 10.41% 64.17% [7]
2011 Ennahda 61.8% Progressive Democratic Party 8.4% 86.6% [8]

Economy
A view of Ksar Hadada
A view of Ksar Hadada

The local economy depends mainly on olive cultivation as well as goat and sheep farming. Most of the village's residents no longer live there and only return during the holidays; this emigration is caused by a lack of employment. Ksar Hadada remains strongly tied to the nearby town of Ghomrassen, as it is the seat of the municipality.

Part of the ksar has been turned into a hotel where tourists can stay. An area was used by director George Lucas in the film Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace to represent Mos Espa on the planet Tatooine, the birthplace of Anakin Skywalker.

Famous people

Tribute

An onshore oil field in the south of Tunisia is named Ksar Hadada.[9][10]

References
  1. Star Wars Trip To Tatooine by Mark Dermul.
  2. The Star Wars Traveler by Gus Lopez and Pamela Gren.
  3. Stars of the Desert – A journey across the dunes of Tunisia to discover lost "Tatooine" by Brady Walters.
  4. "2004 Tunisian Census". ins.nat.tn.
  5. "2014 Tunisian census". dataportal.ins.tn.
  6. "Résultats du deuxième tour des élections présidentielles de 2014 à Ksar Hadada". isie.tn. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  7. "Résultats des élections législatives de 2014 à Ksar Hadada". isie.tn.
  8. "Résultats de l'élection de l'assemblée constituante de 2011" (PDF). isie.tn.
  9. Manager, African (March 3, 2015). "Tunis-Pétrole : La licence Ksar Hadada intéresse les investisseurs". African Manager (in French). Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  10. "Independent Resources says Ksar Hadada still viable; farm out continues". Proactiveinvestors UK. June 25, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2019.

33°06′00″N 10°18′50″E


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