Tataouine

The name means 'water springs' in the Berber language. It is sometimes transliterated in European languages as Tatahouine, Tatahouïne, Tatawin or Tatooine. The names "Tataouine", "Tatahouine" and "Foum Tatahouine" all appeared in the postcards portraying the city in the 1920s. The city used to be called (), alternatively spelled , , , or , which means 'mouth of the springs'. == History ==

From 1892 to 1951, Tataouine was the garrison town of the French penal military unit known as the "Battalion of Light Infantry of Africa". After the French established the town, a mosque (built in 1898) and homes were built in Tataouine. about 12 kg of fragments were found. The meteorite consists largely of the mineral enstatite, and is of the rare Diogenite type. Tataouine became the inspiration for the name of planet Tatooine after Tunisia was chosen as a filming location for exterior scenes of the desert planet in the Star Wars film series. In March 2015, it was reported that ISIL was using Tataouine as a military base, but these claims were denied by the Tunisian government. In September 2016, a new oil field was found south of the town by the Italian company Eni. ==Climate==

The Ksour Festival () is an annual festival held in Tataouine in March. In Tataouine some people speak a Berber dialect. Tataouine in scientific names Meteorite (Tatahouine) On June 27, 1931, at 1:30am, a meteorite of a weight currently estimated of ca 50 kg fell 4 km North of the city. Due to a transcription error, it is recorded in the Meteoretical Society international database under the name Tatahouine (with an added h). It is a rare diogenite originating from 4 Vesta in the asteroid belt. The discovery and research around Ramlibacter tataouinensis is scientifically significant because it demonstrated that rod-like structures observed in another meteorite, the ALH 84001 discovered in Antartica, and thought for a time to be of extraterrestrial origin, could actually be terrestrial bacteria from the ground which had contaminated and then colonized the sample. Dinosaur (Tataouinea hannibalis) Numerous fossils, including vegetal, trees, animals, and dinosaurs footprints have been found in the region, several being exhibited at the local Museum of Earth Memory. Among dinosaurs, Tataouinea is a genus of rebbachisaurid sauropod dinosaurs with avian-like bone structures described in 2013. Additional fossil material was described in 2015. The generic name, "Tataouinea", references the city of Tataouine, while the specific name, "hannibalis", honors the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca. Popular culture • Star Wars: Tataouine's name became famous worldwide when George Lucas, who shot the original Star Wars film in various locations in Tunisia, named Luke Skywalker's fictional home planet Tatooine. • X-Files: Tataouine appeared in the end of the film The X-Files as Foum Tataouine, where an extraterrestrial viral experiment facility was located. • The Amazing Race: Tataouine appeared in the fifth episode of The Amazing Race 1. == Image gallery ==

Ksar_Ouled_Soltane_01.jpg Une Route à Tataouine.jpg Tataouine.png Tataouine-stegop-19.jpg Siège de Radio Tataouine.jpg Tribunal de première instance de Tataouine 2017.jpg == References ==