A galaxy not so far away: Photographer stumbles across Star Wars sets in the middle of the desert in Tunisia

Luke Skywalker's home planet of Tatooine is still standing in the desert

Artist takes haunting images of disused set after finding it through Google



These surreal photographs are instantly familiar to any fan of Star Wars - they show the landscape of Tatooine, where Luke Skywalker grew up in the sci-fi blockbuster.



But the pictures were not captured when the series was being filmed in the 1970s, but in fact date back just a few weeks.



The sets which director George Lucas used to create his epic vision are still standing in the deserts of Tunisia, where they have been a focus of pilgrimage for Star Wars obsessives for decades.

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Iconic: This house was the home of Luke Skywalker on Tatooine in the Star Wars films

Still standing: The sets are visible in Tunisian desert nearly four decades after the first film was filmed

Futuristic: These vapourisers were featured in the film and have never been removed from the desert

Photographer and artist Ra Di Martino made it her mission to find the Tatooine sets after researching the sites where major blockbusters were filmed.



Using just Google Maps as a guide, she ventured into the Chott el Djerid to find the abandoned set.

Much of the former Tatooine has been swallowed up by the desert and now lies buried in the sand.



However, that part which remains above ground has been preserved by the hot and dry climate, making it almost identical to when it appeared in the 1977 film.

Pilgrimage: Photographer Ra Di Martino found the Tatooine set by searching on Google Maps

Inhospitable: In the Star Wars films, Tatooine is a scorching planet warmed by two suns - making the unforgiving Tunisian desert the perfect place to film

Remote: Filmmakers never got round to removing the set from the uninhabited Chott el Djerid region

Surprise: Ms Di Martino said she was taken aback by the intensity of the response to her pictures

'When I realised some film Star Wars film props were left, I thought they would make for some very powerful images,' Ms Di Martino said.



'So I decided to go to Tunisia and eventually found these three locations in very different conditions.



'I was so happy to have found the ruins, they are fascinating but it can be a very eerie experience seeing them, especially if you are alone. I have great childhood memories of the films.



Derelict: Swathes of the set have been destroyed by the advance of the desert

Poignant: The abandoned sets have been standing in the desert for several decades

Destination: Tunisia, where the ruins can be found, used to be a popular tourist hotspot

Comeback: The country could try to use its Star Wars legacy to attract visitors once again

'I was surprised at the reaction from fans, there is a real obsession for anything to do with Star Wars.'



The New York-based photographer has gathered her images into a series entitled No More Stars.



Tunisia, where much of the sci-fi classic was filmed, was a popular tourist destination before being caught up in the 'Arab Spring' of 2011, and is now trying to rebuild its tourism industry.

Blockbuster: Luke Skywalker pictured with his uncle coming out of their house in 1977's Star Wars