Take a short drive into the desert from Tozeur in southern Tunisia, and the Star Wars town of Mos Espa will pop out to surprise you.
Mos Espa, on the planet Tatooine, was the home of the young Anakin Skywalker, later to become Darth Vader. It featured in The Phantom Menace, “Episode I” of the Jedi saga.
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I say unexpected, but of course it isn’t at all. It is an established destination on the tourist trail in this part of Tunisia.
But time your visit well and you can have the place pretty much to yourself. Even if you are not a Star Wars aficionado, it is worth the trip. I love the surrounding desert scenery, and it’s fascinating to study the structure of the buildings, many of which are just facades.
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There may soon be a surprise in store, mind you. Future tourists may well arrive to find Mos Espa gone. The surrounding sand dunes are encroaching on the colony at a rate of 15 metres a year. Indeed, part of a nearby set used in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope has already been overrun by sand. Scientists have used the dwellings as a fixed geographic reference to measure the migration of giant wind-blown crescent-shaped dunes, or barchans. Their study indicates that dune movements on Earth are 10 times faster than similar barchans on Mars.
So if you fancy seeing Mos Espa in the flesh, go soon; the sand is already encroaching on Qui-Gon’s Alley, apparently. A gritty problem, I’m sure you’ll agree.
In the news: Star Wars threatened by dune.
Linked to the Word a Week Challenge: Unexpected and ABC Wednesday: E.
Travel with Intent 
Thanks for sharing this. I did wonder where they had built it. Enjoyed your post.
Dropping by from the ABC Wed linkup
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Been to Tunisia once and know that harsh landscape!! Each place has some beauty of its own and so does Morocco!! Your pics are so interesting!!
“My Post Is Here”
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Very interesting! And beautiful too. Such a pity that this will be buried under sand. Great post!
Have a great weekend.
Wil, ABCW Team.
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Amazing how mankind builds and nature takes back, reclaiming the land. Not that often, either, but sand dunes are remarkable for this quality. Thanks for all the great shots! Found you at ABC. Amy
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Oh, I have to add this to a Star Wars conversation on Facebook!
ROG, ABC Wednesday team
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A most interesting post, as I also, didn’t have any knowledge of this being in Tunisia. What an interesting tourist ‘destination’ or stop along the way.
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Thanks for sharing. I had no idea that it was located in Tunisia. I loved to see Morrocco.
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That was cool, wish I had the time to visit Tunisia when I was in Morrocco, I would think they would try to keep it just as a fun tourist attraction, what a great thing for Star Wars fans.
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Oh my, I had no idea 🙂
I’ve been to South Park once. Didn’t realise it actually existed, until a Colorado friend of mine drove me right through it.
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