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Tsaghkunk Restaurant * Stories + Recent Stories + All Stories + Puzzles + Video + Podcast Most Recent Stories View All Stories >> A sweet bread made with whole wheat Jordanian flour by artisan baker Ruba Asi. In Jordan, an Ancient Bread Tradition Rises Again One of the molded jellies of the Eat My Face workshop. Meet the Duo Molding the Weird, Wondrous Future of Jelly Instantly recognizable, the modern, mass-produced Guy Fawkes mask is everywhere--except the British Museum. Why Isn't the Most British of Masks in the Most British of Museums? The ship first known as the Viking Sally was once a floating pleasure palace, part of the Baltic's "cruiseferry culture." The Curse of the Viking Sally, the Baltic's Most Ill-Starred Ship * Sign In Join * Sign In ----------------------------------------------------------------- Join * What's near me? Random Place Leftover Star Wars Sets Tozeur, Tunisia Buildings from the fictional planet of Tatooine still litter the Tunisian desert. Been Here? 140 Want to Visit? 665 [blank-11b9] View all photos Mos Espa set. John Roberts on Flickr (Creative Commons) [X2IuanBn] Mos Espa set. John Roberts on Flickr (Creative Commons) [X2IuanBn] Mos Espa set. John Roberts on Flickr (Creative Commons) [X2IuanBn] The Lars homestead. Stefan Krasowski on Flickr (Creative Commons) Been Here? 140 Want to Visit? 665 Leftover Star Wars Sets Copy Link Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard Pocket Related Stories [blank-11b9] film locations After the Wrap: The Post-Shooting Life of Sixteen Film Sets Kimberly Wadsworth April 21, 2014 Top Places in Tunisia Hotel Sidi Driss Hotel Sidi Driss Matmatat-Al-Qadimal, Tunisia --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dougga Teboursouk, Tunisia --------------------------------------------------------------------- Aghlabid Basins Kairouan, Tunisia See All While much of George Lucas' mythic "Star Wars" films were filmed in studio lots or in preexisting structures, a number of their exterior sets, especially for the desert planet Tatooine, were purpose built for the films and simply abandoned to the sands and the fans when filming was over. While the most famous leftover Star Wars set may be the Hotel Sidi Driss, a Tunisian hotel which was used as the interior of the Lars moisture farm, Luke Skywalker's teenage home, many more structures were built just for the production such as the Lars farm exterior and most of the city of Mos Espa. In Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace the spaceport of Mos Espa is shown as a bustling frontier town where young Anakin Skywalker lives and works as a slave. Many of the bulbous structures were filled in using CGI, but much of the first stories of the buildings were built practically and still stand as a squat beige town square that looks as though it was shaved cleanly off at the top. The facades are not actually buildings, but fronts built for filming, yet visitors can still mill about the exteriors as though they were on that far flung desert planet. There are also some iconic "moisture vaperators" also left on the site. The single-domed building that was built to represent the outside of the Lars Homestead where Luke Skywalker grew up, unaware of his cosmically significant heritage, was used originally in Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope, and then shot again for the prequel films. This little building was built in the middle of nowhere for the very first film in the series and was abandoned after shooting wrapped. Left to the elements, it deteriorated but was actually refurbished when the later prequels once again had use for it. After the prequels finished shooting the fake home was once again abandoned and began to fall apart again. However a group of dedicated fans have actually taken to restoring the hut so that it can last for future fans of the franchise. Unfortunately rampant desertification has threatened both the Mos Espa and Lars farm sets as the unstoppable desert sands are beginning to bury the science fiction meccas. The country of Tunisia has even recently sought international support to save the Mos Espa set which is a huge source of tourism revenue for the country. Atlas Obscura Trips Tunisia & the Sands of Time Discover unique landscapes, wander through winding medinas, relax by ancient oases, and journey to the Sahara and back. Book Now [blank-11b9] science fiction film locations film Community Contributors EricGrundhauser Added by EricGrundhauser Molly McBride Jacobson Edited by Molly McBride Jacobson --------------------------------------------------------------------- Published April 11, 2013 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Edit this listing Make an Edit Add Photos --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sources * http://www.businessinsider.com/ star-wars-abandoned-set-in-ruins-2013-5 * http://inhabitat.com/ tunisia-battles-to-save-world-famous-star-wars-set-from-encroaching-desertification / * http://www.losapos.com/starwarstunisia [blank-11b9c95a68e295dddd0ea924647536578ce285b2c8469a223c01df1ff3166] Tozeur Tunisia 33.9240, 8.1312 Nearby Sidi Bouhlel 11.56 miles Mos Espa 17.22 miles Chott el Djerid 18.25 miles Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member. Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member. Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member. Near This Place [blank-11b9] Daqas, Tunisia Sidi Bouhlel A seemingly simple canyon that was the backdrop to a number of famous movies. [blank-11b9] Tunisia Mos Espa An abandoned film set location for a remote spaceport in a galaxy far, far away hides in the Tunisian desert. [blank-11b9] Tozeur, Tunisia Chott el Djerid The largest salt lake in the Sahara is mysteriously alluring. [blank-11b9] Nefta, Tunisia Lars Homestead The original movie set for the home of "Star Wars" hero Luke Skywalker. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Related Places [blank-11b9] London, England Southmere Lake This artificial lake surrounded by Brutalist architecture served as a stand-in for futuristic Britain in Stanley Kubrick's 'A Clockwork Orange.' [blank-11b9] London, England Wandsworth Roundabout Underpass This underpass became an unlikely piece of cinematic history after its appearance in 'A Clockwork Orange.' [blank-11b9] Queens, New York Fountain of the Planet of the Apes No monkeying around, this fountain was really named after the classic sci-fi film. [blank-11b9] Upper Hutt, New Zealand Rivendell You may recognize this beautiful grove within Kaitoke Regional Park as location of the house of Elrond. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Appears in 2 Lists [blank-11b9] List The Ultimate Guide to Stunning, Surprising, or Hidden Filming Locations From classic horror to Harry Potter to beloved sitcoms, here are the real places behind your favorite movies and shows. Michelle Cassidy July 16, 2021 [blank-11b9] List 50 Obscure and Amazing Places to Visit in 2017 Where to take your wanderlust this year. Atlas Obscura January 5, 2017 Random Place >> Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member. From Around the Web [] See Fewer Ads Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups. Learn More Get Our Email Newsletter [ ] Thanks for subscribing! 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