<P> Principal photography began on May 16 , 1988 , in the Tabernas Desert in Spain 's Almería province . Spielberg originally had planned the chase to be a short sequence shot over two days , but he drew up storyboards to make the scene an action - packed centerpiece . Thinking he would not surpass the truck chase from Raiders of the Lost Ark ( because the truck was much faster than the tank ) , he felt this sequence should be more story - based and needed to show Indiana and Henry helping each other . He later said he had more fun storyboarding the sequence than filming it . The second unit had begun filming two weeks before . After approximately ten days , the production moved to Bellas Artes to film the scenes set in the Sultan of Hatay 's palace . Cabo de Gata - Níjar Natural Park was used for the road , tunnel and beach sequence in which birds strike the plane . The shoot 's Spanish portion wrapped on June 2 , 1988 , in Guadix , Granada , with filming of Brody 's capture at İskenderun train station . The filmmakers built a mosque near the station for atmosphere , rather than adding it as a visual effect . </P>
where was the opening scene of indiana jones and the last crusade filmed
Tabernas Desert in Spain 's Almería province