Star Wars Canyon
Jebel Sidi Bouhlel
Appears in: Episode VI: A New Hope
Originally: A natural canyon with a place of worship dedicated to Sidi Bouhlel, a Muslim mystic/saint
Several scenes from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope were filmed in this canyon. Tusken Raiders ambush Luke as he searches for R2D2 in this canyon. The Sand People are then frightened by Obi-Wan Kenobi’s ghoulish appearance and saves Luke from the demise of the Raiders. However, one of the most iconic scenes and lines of the movie is when Luke and Obi-Wan look over the edge of the canyon towards Mos Eisley. The jedi labels Mos Eisley as a “hive of scum and villainy.”
This canyon also is said to have appeared in Episode I: The Phantom Menace, utilized in multiple shots for the Tusken Raider sniper perches during Anakin’s pod race. Additionally, this is the same canyon used again by Lucasfilm in Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark. As the Nazi’s march the ark through a canyon, Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford (aka Han Solo), appears with an RPG threatening to destroy the ark completely. Jones ends up surrendering and led to the terrifying opening of the ark.