The strange group of tourists snapping photos of wobbly door knobs, jumbled knots of electrical wires and rust stains on the weathered walls of the bustling ancient marketplace made an unusual request of the already confused tour guide.

“Take us to the darkest, dirtiest alley you can find because that’s where we’ll find the details we’re looking for,” said Walt Disney Imagineering executive creative director Chris Beatty.

Galaxy's Edge, The Mystery, History, and Danger of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Those details discovered on the sidewalks, streets and alleyways of Istanbul, Turkey and Marrakesh, Morocco inspired the look and feel of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge themed lands taking shape at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The Imagineering and Lucasfilm creative team traveled to Istanbul and Marrakesh during the Blue Sky planning stage for Galaxy’s Edge in search of inspiration for the Black Spire Outpost village on the Star Wars planet of Batuu, the setting for the new 14-acre themed lands.

The research trip took the team to marketplaces, mosques, temples and landmarks in the two ancient cities that served as architectural and design guideposts during the construction of the remote spaceport on the outer rim of the Star Wars galaxy.

Galaxy's Edge, The Mystery, History, and Danger of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Instead of a familiar planet like Tatooine, Hoth or Endor, the decision was made early on to take Galaxy’s Edge visitors to a new location in the Star Wars cinematic universe. But where to go?

“What do we want the guest to experience?” Beatty said. “Where do we want to take the guests? What do we want to them to hear, smell, touch and taste when they come into the land?”

Batuu had to feel like a familiar and timeless part of the Star Wars universe — even if the remote planet on the outer rim of the galaxy was unfamiliar and new to most Star Wars fans.

“We want it to have a sense of history,” Beatty said. “That it’s been there for a thousand years and it’s been conquered multiple times in battles that have taken place. There’s a layering that takes place. Things have just been built upon. Building upon building.”

Galaxy's Edge, The Mystery, History, and Danger of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Black Spire Outpost had to look like an authentic and realistic galactic spaceport to both hardcore Star Wars enthusiasts and casual fans alike.

“This place existed, has always existed,” said Imagineering executive creative director Wendy Anderson. “We’re just allowed to discover it now. That’s what we want you to feel when you step through that threshold.”

Galaxy’s Edge had to have a sense of mystery, romance, history, danger, discovery and exploration. But where to find real-world inspirations for the new space fantasy theme park land?

“What part of the world checks all these boxes?” Beatty said. “That is mysterious and dangerous and romantic at the same time. It’s colorful, it’s beautiful. We found ourselves going back to Istanbul, Turkey, parts of the Middle East, North Africa and Morocco. These places really have an amazing history to them. At the same time it’s relatable. You can put yourself there.”

The research trip took the Imagineering and Lucasfilm creative team to the lively marketplaces of Istanbul and Morocco.

Galaxy's Edge, The Mystery, History, and Danger of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

“We went to visit some of these places that have bustling bazaars and incredible layer upon layer upon layer of history,” Anderson said. “We were taken to a corner in Istanbul where there’s an ancient Greek plinth combined with a Roman road combined with an aqueduct. Just layers of thousands of years of life on one corner.”

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul was filled with travelers from around the globe.

“It’s always been a crossroads of the world,” Beatty said. “Especially that part of the world. People come from Africa, people come down from Europe, people come from Asia.”

A tour guide took the research team to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia Museum. But the Imagineering and Lucasfilm creative types were just as interested in the minutiae of everyday city life as the ancient landmarks.

Galaxy's Edge, The Mystery, History, and Danger of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

“We’re taking pictures of door knobs and rusty wires up on a building that looks like a rat’s nest,” Beatty said.

The bustling marketplaces were a feast for the five senses.

“We were in Istanbul and we were in the Grand Bazaar,” Beatty said. “You could stop in the middle of one of the squares and just close your eyes and it was like being at Batuu.”

The sights, sounds, smells and tastes transported the team from Istanbul to Black Spire Outpost.

“The smells were so unique and different. The ground under your feet felt different,” Beatty said. “You’re hearing all these languages pass by you. You had no idea what they were saying. They could be alien languages. You heard the shopkeepers yelling to the other shopkeepers across the way. People bartering to get a lower price on goods. It was like we were at Black Spire Outpost in this old ancient market.”

Galaxy's Edge, The Mystery, History, and Danger of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

After the research trip, the Imagineering and Lucasfilm creative team built a “Design Bible” filled with thousands of reference photos from Istanbul and Marrakesh for the Galaxy’s Edge design, paint and fabrication crews.

No detail was too small or inconsequential. An electrical box in the Black Spire village will look exactly like the one photographed in Morocco during the research trip. Wires will spill out of the haphazardly plastered panel leaching rust stains onto the weathered wall. Disney artisans referenced the photos from the “Design Bible” while set dressing Galaxy’s Edge buildings.

“I want the plaster to be rough like this and have some stain or aging or mildewing in this really strange, unique way,” Beatty said. “This is the level of detail that we go to just to make it as authentic as possible.”

The architectural and cultural influences of Istanbul and Marrakesh can be seen throughout Black Spire Outpost — from the domed roofs and curving archways of the village to the tattered shop canopies and sail-like sunshades in the marketplace to the music playing in the intimate vendor stalls.

Galaxy's Edge, The Mystery, History, and Danger of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

The Creature Stall alien pet store in the Black Spire marketplace will be stuffed with oinking Puffer Pigs, tongue-flicking Worrts and vibrating Rathtars collected from across the Star Wars galaxy.

Galaxy's Edge, The Mystery, History, and Danger of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

“When we’re done, just like those stalls that you see in Istanbul and Morocco, you won’t be able to see the ceiling in this space,” Beatty said during a tour of Galaxy’s Edge. “It will be filled with creature cages. Some of them have little special effects that have leaves that move and eyes that look down upon you.”

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens May 31 at Disneyland in California and Aug. 29 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.


You can find more news, photos and information about Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge HERE: 

Galaxy's Edge, The Mystery, History, and Danger of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
All Star Wars News HERE


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Brady MacDonald
Brady MacDonald is a freelance writer based in California. He wrote the Funland theme park blog for the Los Angeles Times for a decade. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, New York Newsday, Philadelphia Inquirer, Seattle Times, Orlando Sentinel and Orange County Register.