Midès

OVERVIEW

Site: Ancient Midès

GPS: 34.406692, 7.920470

Location: Tozeur Governorate, southwest Tunisia

Description: Ruins (pre-Roman era)

Star Wars recce:
Episode I – Tunisia (December 1995)

Source: Original recce photograph (Reynolds)

Star Wars scouted set concept:
Mos Espa spaceport | various elements

Star Wars connection discovery:
Galaxy Tours (22 November 2020)

Challenges: Midès’ remote mountainous setting less than 1 km from the Algerian border seemingly presented too many logistical challenges, likely resulting in only minimal consideration to transform the hillside ruins into fictional Mos Espa.

Canyon: Tunisian tourism circles frequently identify the canyon below ancient Midès as “Star Wars Canyon,” inaccurately confusing this unique landscape with Maguer Gorge (Jebel Sidi Bouhlel). This misinformation is likely tethered to the popular (but unfounded) claim that the Midès area served as inspiration for various Mos Espa podrace canyonland CGI elements.