Ajim

Ajim (Arabic:أجيم) is the ferry port on the southside of the island of Djerba, Tunisia. Its inhabitants live mostly from fishing and tourism. At the ferry port you'll find some fishing nets with pottery. These are used to catch the octopi, who believe them to be a safe hiding place. Ajim is not very big and doesn't offer much to the regular tourist.
The ferry, which the locals refer to as 'le Bac', will bring you to Tunisia's mainland in twenty minutes. There are two ferries going back and forth, so you never have to wait very long.
In March 1976 a few streets were changed dramatically by film set decorators, and on April 2 and 3 the streets of Ajim were used as the backdrop in the Mos Eisley sequences in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, most notably the exterior of Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina.
When coming in from the north – as you'll probably be coming from Houmt Souk, where the airport is – you'll come to a roundabout with a clock on top of the pillar in the middle of it. The first Star Wars location to be found is then on your left-hand side, just down the street.
When coming from the south – from the ferry port – travel north and you'll find a fountain with a fish in front of a couple of restaurants (tourist traps !). Continue on that road and you'll come to the same roundabout with the clock. Hang right here and prepare to be amazed.
You'll find a little square building where you can park your car of moped.
In reality, Chalmun's Cantina is an just an old, traditional Berber bakery that is no longer in use. It has not been for some years and the building is truly derelict at the moment and in danger of being demolished to make room for more modern apartment. The surrounding area has already changed significantly and some reference points from Star Wars have already been lost.
Across from Chalmun's Cantina one can find a rather modern apartment building. Right next to it, only the half-domed wall can still be found of the Stormtrooper Checkpoint, but with the right reference shots, one can spot it easily.
The Falcon Blast Off Alley is found just a few streets to the south. It will take some rooftop climbing to find the exact location, but it will be worth it. It is only a little dome, but you can easily picture the two stormtroopers that hastily turn around when they hear the roar of a spaceship behind them. It's the heroes escaping Tatooine in the Millennium Falcon.
Three kilometers due north is an old fisherman's house that was used as an exterior for Ben Kenobi's hut. Fourteen kilometers further north is Sidi Jemour where more shots for Mos Eisley were filmed, as well as a deleted scene for Anchorhead.
==How to get there==
If you have a car, the best is to take the ferry from Jorf. If you don't, then a louage from Houmt-Souk might be the best way. If you have the entire day then all the locations around Ajim are in walking distance. The bakery is very small compared to its surrounding houses, and thus might be hard to find. When you are at the center clock, go east and turn right on the first roundabout, walk around 50 meters and the old bakery should be on your right hand. The old harbor and mosque are both easy to find, but a few kilometers north, on the small coast road.
==Notes and references==
==External links==
*Star Wars Trip To Tatooine by Mark Dermul with detailed photos
*Sompeetalay in Tunesia Sompeetalay's trip to Tunesia
*The Star Wars Traveler by Gus Lopez and Pamela Gren
*Loms Galactic Tours by Loms
*Stars of the Desert - A journey across the dunes of Tunisia to discover lost "Tatooine" by Brady Walters
*Ben's hut 
*Cantine 
Category:Filming locations