The village of Matmata, with an architecture from another planet

There is a corner of the world that seems to belong to an ancient dream or a science fiction film set. And, in a certain sense, both are true. We are talking about Matmata , a Berber village nestled in the arid hills of Tunisia, where the barren landscape suddenly opens onto a surreal scenario , both terrestrial and otherworldly. It is here that the sand and the sky meet to tell a story rich in ingenuity, adaptation and survival.

If for film buffs the name immediately evokes the iconic scenes of the Star Wars saga, it is because George Lucas, struck by the singularity of the architecture, chose Matmata to represent the planet Tatooine , home of Luke Skywalker.

But what is truly striking about Matmata goes beyond its cinematic allure: it is a true marvel of human ingenuity, an extraordinary example of how architecture can merge with nature to protect, resist and, why not, enchant.

Life Under the Ground: Troglodyte Homes

At first glance, Matmata looks like a ghost town. Hills of scorched earth, nothing on the horizon. But it is only when you get closer that the landscape truly reveals itself, and it does so through craters , openings in the rock and mysterious entrances that open onto an underground world. The troglodyte houses , dug into the friable rock to a depth of six or seven meters, appear only to a careful look: they are, in fact, perfectly camouflaged, almost as if the earth had “swallowed” them to protect them from time and climate.

These ancestral dwellings are arranged around a central courtyard dug into the ground, from which small rooms closed by thick curtains open. There is nothing casual: each architectural choice responds to a specific climatic need . Here, where the sun is relentless, living underground means ensuring coolness in summer and warmth in winter. The rooms are truly comfortable : the air is fresh, the walls maintain a constant temperature , and the muffled silence of the depths gives a feeling of incredible quiet.

Every house has its own door made of palm wood , chosen not only for its resistance, but also for its dense fiber that does not require frequent maintenance. At the entrance there are often hand-painted propitiatory symbols : stylized eyes, fish, open hands, signs full of meaning, messages of protection against the evil eye and invitations to good luck.

Inside, life unfolds according to an ancient order: a room for sleeping, a Spartan kitchen, a pantry, and a space dedicated to grinding grain, where two large stones rub against each other with a movement that feels like a ritual, like gestures repeated for generations.

A people between modernity and tradition

Despite the archaic charm of troglodyte houses, not all the inhabitants of Matmata still live in underground dwellings. After the sudden and devastating floods that hit the area in the past (events as rare as they were disastrous) many families accepted the invitation of the Tunisian government to move to modern homes, safer but certainly less poetic.

However, a part of the population has chosen to stay. Some for identity pride, others for necessity, but all with the awareness of guarding a heritage unique in the world . Today many of these homes can be visited, opened to the public by families who with courtesy and discretion invite travelers to descend into their daily lives.

It often happens that children themselves spontaneously offer a guided tour of their home. And when, at the end of the tour, they are offered a hot tea (prepared with rainwater collected in ancient hand-dug cisterns) you understand how every detail is the result of a deep relationship between man and the environment. Hospitality here has the flavor of honey mixed with oil, spread on a fragrant focaccia: a simple gesture that says it all.

Visiting Matmata means touching a millenary culture , walking inside the earth and feeling small in front of human ingenuity. But it also means taking on a responsibility: that of respecting and supporting a fragile community, which often lives with little and opens its doors with generosity.

A small gesture (like a tip or the purchase of a handcrafted object) can make a difference for those who, with dignity and pride, continue to keep alive the roots of a people.

A stone's throw from the desert: Gabes and the scent of spices

Those who venture as far as Matmata cannot miss a detour to the coast , towards Gabes , just an hour's drive away. There, in the industrial city that lives between the sea and the oasis, a small spice market stands out and is worth a stop. The stalls are a riot of colors and aromas: cumin, paprika, coriander, and henna powder (produced by grinding the leaves of the henna tree) which has been used for centuries to dye hair, strengthen it, and to decorate hands and feet with refined patterns.

It is another small piece of a cultural mosaic that has its roots in the land, in gestures and in scents.