Star Wars fans will be pleased to learn that Tunisia has launched a fundraising campaign to restore the symbolic hometown set of Darth Vader, AFP reports.
The fictional set of Mos Espa – built in Ong Jmel, south of Tunisia, has been damaged by sand dunes since it was built during the 1990s prompting the tourism ministry to launch a campaign to raise 300,000 Tunisian dinars ($190,000) for the repairs.
Tunisian authorities have already donated 160,000 dinars ($100,000) to the project and have joined forces with other organizations to launch the “Save Mos Espa” campaign.
“Mos Epsa is located in a very windy region, threatened by sand dunes which the wind moves by around 15 metres a year. One dune has already buried 10 per cent of the site,” Nabil Gasmi, a representative from a tourism group told reporters.
The desert set comprises of dome-like buildings made of sandstone, which were featured in Star Wars Episode One, The Phantom Menace.
Tourism in Tunisia has declined in recent years following the Arab Spring revolution in 2011. Tourism minister, Amel Karboul vowed to revamp the country’s image, according to AFP.
