Discovering Matmata, its Cave Dwellers and Claim to Fame
Riding through the Djebel (mountain range) Dahar in southern Tunisia with its mostly barren-looking landscape, above ground, modern-day Matmata looks like most of the other villages dotting the hills of Tunisia.
But, looks can be deceiving. A deeper inspection of the area and its history reveals a settlement that is a testament to the marvellous work of ingenuity and engineering of the local Berber people of the area; The Berber Underground Cave Homes of Matmata aka troglodytes.
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF MATMATA
For several lifetimes, these underground cave homes in Matmata went undetected until a great flood hit the region in 1969 and the residents of underground Matmata were forced out of their homes to seek help from the Tunisian government, who went on to build a new town above ground.
However, most families chose to keep their heritage and historical homes with some families still living there to date.
Later in 1976, these troglodyte homes came to the attention of the American filmmaker George Lucas of the Star Wars Franchise. In search of a “desert moonscape” for his project, Matmata was chosen as one of many locations in southern Tunisia. This in turn made the area quite famous.
But more on that later.
WHY BUILD HOMES UNDERGROUND?
With the scorching hot sun, and the unrelenting desert winds blowing up dust of sands in their faces, the desert people of Tunisia aka Berbers devised a plan to hide from mother nature by digging into the earth and hiding out there.
This worked out perfectly well and things couldn’t have been better.
That, is until invaders began to arrive. The troglodytes then served a secondary but important role as a safe refuge where families could stay well hidden and sentries could peep up from the pits to see if anyone was coming and as such, warn the others.
HOW THE UNDERGROUND CAVE HOMES OF MATMATA WERE BUILT
First, a large pit is dug, about 6 meters deep and 10 meters wide in a circular shape. The rooms are then dug out laterally into the walls, with rooms of varying sizes leading onto a large central courtyard.
Interestingly, some “homes” have several connecting courtyards that form a complex underground labrynth such as the one in the famous Hotel Sidi Idriss.
Another work of ingenuity can be seen where some bigger families have caves dug with as many as “3 floors”. These upper rooms are accessed by using footholds excavated in the walls and serving as steps.
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The Troglodyte Home we visited in Matmata
The troglodyte home we visited was quite modest and had just one central courtyard about 7 meters wide. It had 2 levels with 5 cave rooms below and 3 above.
The rooms consisted of a living/dinning room, a kitchen, 2 bedrooms, a storage, and a milling room area below. The caves above were quite small and not in use but looked like they could have been used for storing grains and food like the “ksars” in the Medenine region.
Finally, the homes are white-washed to reflect light and decorated with local art and materials.
Given the fact that the area sees little rainfall and the limestone rock formations are neither too hard nor too soft to dig into, these homes have stood the test of time.
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VISITING MATMATA
With the uniqueness of such a place like matmata coupled with its connection with the Star Wars Franchise, it is no wonder that it is a magnet that draws tourists from far and wide.
Although there are several types of tourists to the area, from solo travellers to families, they nearly always fit into two main groups- Regular culture tourists, and ardent Star Wars fans, for obvious reasons.
The cheapest way to get to Matmata’s old troglodyte town is by bus from Tunis (2 stops, 9hours) or Gabes (7.5 hours).
Another option is to take a shared taxi called a “louage”.
You could also rent a car from Tunis or like us, ride your own motorcycle. Just make sure to do some research on the routes and rules of driving in Tunisia.
Finally, you can go with an organised tour group from any of the bigger cities like Tunis or Sousse.
WATCH OUR VISIT TO MATAMATA
With the troglodyte homes being the main attraction to Matmata, activities are centered around them.
Here are some of the things you can do:
1. VISIT A TRADITIONAL HOME OF A BERBER FAMILY
2. TRY OUT THE LOCAL MEAL AND DRINK SOME MINT TEA
3. GAZE AT THE IMMENSENESS OF THE TUNISIAN DESERT LANDSCAPE
4. TAKE PHOTOS THAT PEOPLE WILL BE ENVIOUS OF
5. VISIT THE HOTEL SIDI IDRISS
The Hotel Sidi Idriss was chosen by George Lucas to film the homestead of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.
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WHERE TO STAY IN MATMATA
If you are thinking of spending a night in the area, it is well worth the experience to stay in a troglodyte hotel or with a Berber family, some of which make a living from tourism.
There are many options of hotels to choose from but don’t expect a 5-star experience. The area is quite remote and the people try to make the most of resources.
You will, however, leave with a unique experience that you will cherish for a really long time.
So what do you think about Matmata? Let us know below!
Isabella & Pietro
TRZ TEAM
A couple with a zest for all things travel, a love for motorcycles, and a voracious appetite for good food!
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