In this incredible Tunisian town, residents live in traditional underground structures to escape the heat which went largely unnoticed until the late 1960s as they were nearly invisible from a distance.
On the edge of the Sahara desert at an altitude of 600 metres, the town lies just under 22 miles from the country’s capital, Tunis.
The origins of the town date back to the 12th century, when Berbers – indigenous people of North Africa – took refuge in these lands to escape the invasion of the men of Caliph Fatmide al-Mustansir.
“With no stone or timber in the area, and relatively no water year-round, survival in the arid Matmata valley was hard,” said Dr Habib Belhedi to Ignant.
The Berbers soon discovered layers of hard and soft earth about two metres apart, which made digging by hand possible.
“They dug pits through layers, and could easily excavate laterally into the slope to create cave-like dwellings. The clay is soft but becomes very hard in contact with the air; solid enough to provide homes for centuries,” explained Belhedi. He added that the process takes between six to eight months.
They followed a standardised plan, by digging a large circular pit which is hollowed out to form the central sunken courtyard, with varying depths of five to ten metres and bringing in vital fresh air. From there, a series of further excavations branch out, forming many underground rooms.
“All around it, small chambers are excavated and communicate with each other by corridors and passageways. A second level can be added, with steps leading up to them; these are usually cisterns or storage rooms,” Belhedi continued.
The clay-gypsum layers are isothermal, ensuring that constant temperatures of around 20C are maintained throughout the year. The entire structure is often also whitewashed to capture as much bright light from the courtyard as possible and often painted with good luck charms, specifically three Berber symbols of Christian origin – a fish symbolising the miracle of the loaves and fish, a hand print embodying the hand of god, and a zigzag of three peaks representing the trinity.
It is estimated that 15,0000 people once inhabited these homes, with numbers dramatically decreasing following the French invasion in 1881 and the country’s independence in 1956.
The settlements went largely unknown until 1969 when intensive rains that lasted for 22 days caused many homes to collapse. In order to get help from the authorities, a delegation was sent to the community centre in the town of Gabès. As a result, an above-ground settlement at Matmata was built, but the majority chose to continue living in the rebuilt underground homes.
These homes were made famous in Star Wars when George Lucas used one as Luke Skywalker’s childhood home. The Hotel Sidi Driss was used in 1976 as the filming location for A New Hope and then again in the 2002 prequel film, Attack of the Clones.
Today, the hotel and the many Matmata homes are a site of pilgrimage for fans of the franchise.
As a result, many have been restored and transformed into guesthouses or museums in an attempt to benefit the local economy and preserve the town’s unique heritage.
Families who remain in the dwellings often sell distinctive rosemary-flavoured honey with oil and original Oudref rugs to visitors.
“Only a few men still know how to dig and maintain these dwellings. Together with Berber language, dress, and costumes, these homes serve as a link to an ancient past of the land.
“It is not folklore, but culture. The Berber way of life should be preserved, while its culture shown to the world,” Belhedi concluded.