Star Wars: Sand Dune To Engulf Tunisia Set

A migrating sand dune is threatening to bury a set used in the Star Wars prequel, The Phantom Menace, in Tunisia.

A satellite image shows the dune bearing down on the set

The fictitious Mos Espa space port from The Phantom Menace film is being approached by the shifting dune, known as a barchan.

Barchan dunes are arc-shaped horns that face downwind. As well as on Earth, they have also been observed on Mars, where the thin atmosphere produces winds strong enough to move sand and dust.

Scientists are using the film set - built on the Chott El Gharsa salt lake on the northern edge of the Sahara - as a geographical reference to monitor the progress of the dune as it is blown by desert winds.

The set has become a popular tourist attraction. Pic: epimetheus/Flickr

The set of 20 buildings covers around 10,000 square metres and was constructed in 1997.

The barchan threatening Mos Espa is moving at around 4cm per day and is expected to entomb the set for several years before continuing on its way.

The front edge of the dune has already reached some of the Mos Espa buildings and it will make contact with the Qui-Gon's Alley part of the set in a few years.

The Repro Haddada part of the set was overrun by a barchan in 2004

Other locations such as Watto's shop and Sebulba's cafe will also eventually be buried. A larger barchan that will completely submerge the set is expected to overrun it in 80 years.

The dune's progress is being studied by an international team of researchers who suggest the damage it will do to the set could have an adverse effect on tourism.

The location of the Mos Espa set on Tunisia's Chott El Charsa salt lake

Using satellite images from Google Earth and photographs taken by tourists, the team have published a scientific paper on their observations of the dune's movement.

The Repro Haddada part of the set - built for the outdoor scenes of Anakin Skywalker working on his Podracer - was overrun by a barchan in 2004.

But although it was substantially demolished by the dune, the set is still an object of pilgrimage by Star Wars fans and tourists.

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