Chenini () is a ruined

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

village in the Tataouine district in southern

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

. Located on a hilltop near a modern village of the same name, Chenini was a fortified

granary A granary, also known as a grain house and historically as a granarium in Latin, is a post-harvest storage building primarily for grains or seeds. Granaries are typically built above the ground to prevent spoilage and protect the stored grains o ...

, or

ksar Ksar or qṣar (), in plural ksour or qsour (), is a type of fortified village in North Africa, usually found in the regions predominantly or traditionally inhabited by Berbers (Amazigh). The equivalent Berber languages, Berber term used is ' ( ...

(plural ''ksour'').

History

Like other ksour created by North African Berber communities, Chenini was built on a hilltop - in this instance, between two hilltop ridges - to help protect it from raiding parties. The oldest structures on the hillside date back to the 12th century; some of the buildings are still used to store grain for the villagers living in the valley below.

Modern times

Chenini and the surrounding Tataouine district are also associated with the

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...

film series. Many scenes for the movies were filmed in the area; one of the moons of the home planet of

Luke Skywalker Luke Skywalker is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the original film trilogy as the main protagonist and also appears in the sequel trilogy. Raised as a poor moisture farmer on the desert planet Tat ...

was named Chenini. As of 2023, Chenini was inhabited by around 500

farmers and herders who live in caves carved out of rock, many of which have been modernized. The village is facing a demographic decline as younger generations leave for

Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...

and Europe in search of work. Chenini has limited amenities, and did not have Internet access until 2013. For high school education and medical emergencies, residents must travel to Tataouine, about half an hour away. The village has a modern counterpart called New Chenini, which has running water and electricity and was home to around 120 families as of 2023. Chenini is a regular stop on southern Tunisia's

trail, along with the villages of Douiret, Ksar Ouled Soltane and Ksar Hadada. The village is home to the ''Mosquée de Sept Dormants'', 'Mosque of the

Seven Sleepers The Seven Sleepers (; ), also known in Christendom as Seven Sleepers of Ephesus, and in Islam as Aṣḥāb al-Kahf (اصحاب الکهف, ''aṣḥāb al-kahf'', lit. Companions of the Cave), is a Late antiquity, late antique Christianity, ...

', one of several sites associated with the pious legend.

Gallery

File:BASA-3K-7-350-18-Chenini, Tunisia.jpg, House in Chenini File:BASA-3K-7-350-21-Cemetery in Chenini, Tunisia.jpg, Cemetery in Chenini File:BASA-3K-7-350-19-Chenini, Tunisia.jpg, View of Chenini File:Chenini 02.jpg, Entrances of an old dwelling File:Ksar Chenini 005.jpg, Ksar Chenini

References

* Lonely Planet Tunisia, 2nd edition. Villages in Tunisia Berber populated places Berbers in Tunisia {{StarWars-stub