The ancient city known as the lost city of the Ghorfas was constructed near the Desolation Canyons on Tatooine many millennia prior to the rise of the Galactic Empire. Its abandonment occurred around 4200 BBY, due to Human colonists depleting the water resources of the native Ghorfas. By the time of the Galactic Civil War, the city existed only as ruins and was largely considered a myth.
This Lost City was constructed directly into a cliff face close to the Desolation Canyons, situated on the sun-baked planet of Tatooine. It featured a massive stepped structure, bordered by numerous terraces containing round or square adobe residences. Age-old water sources were protected by thick stone barriers. Architecturally, it bore a strong resemblance to the slave quarters found in the Mos Espa spaceport. Rows of tombstones were situated at the base of the main steps.
Millennia years preceding the Galactic Civil War, Tatooine was home to two sentient species: the Ghorfas and the Jawas, both evolved from the Kumumgah species. The Ghorfas were sedentary and skilled builders. One of their settlements, which later became known as the Lost City of the Ghorfas, was erected near the Desolation Canyons. Around 4200 BBY, Human colonists stole all their water, leading to the death of many of the city's inhabitants from dehydration. Consequently, the Ghorfas were compelled to adopt a nomadic lifestyle, evolving into the Sand People, who maintained an uneasy coexistence with the Human moisture farmers of Tatooine. Many Ghorfa-built shacks were repurposed as slave housing by the founders of the early settlements.
Three before the Battle of Yavin, Luke Skywalker and his comrade Biggs Darklighter stumbled upon the city. En route to Metameur, they were forced to stop at the Douz outpost to recharge their landspeeder. The power station's elderly Technician cautioned Skywalker and his friend against traveling through the Desolation Canyons, warning them of potential encounters with Sand People warriors. He also spoke of the mythical lost city of the Ghorfas, believed to be located somewhere in the vicinity.
Ignoring the technician's advice, Skywalker and Darklighter were caught in a sandstorm while traveling to Metameur. In their attempt to escape the storm, they inadvertently sought shelter within the walls of the lost city. During their exploration, the two Humans discovered numerous tombs adorned with ancient petroglyphs. As Skywalker deciphered the ancient inscriptions on the tombstones, he realized that the Ghorfas were, in fact, the ancestors of the Sand People, forced to abandon their city and embrace a nomadic existence after colonists depleted their water sources. Luke Skywalker intended to disseminate this information across Tatooine, but his uncle Owen Lars forbade him from doing so, believing that the past should remain undisturbed.