Saving Luke's 'Star Wars' home in Tatooine (pictures)
We take a look at a few famous "Star Wars" locations as they stand now in the sands of Tunisia, and the inspiring story of how fans restored the small hut known as the Lars homestead.
Sci-fi comes to life
Six stewards of the sands recently embarked on a weeklong journey to Tunisia -- the majestic landscape featured in various "Star Wars" movies as the fictional planet Tatooine -- to repair Luke Skywalker's home, also known in the movies as the Lars family homestead. The team included "Star Wars" superfans from around the world -- Mark Dermul, Mark Cox, Terry Cooper, Robert Cunningham, Imanuel Dijk, and Michel Verpoorten.
Before arriving, the Save Lars group visited the mountain range Jebel Krefane (near the village of Bouhlel), which served as the backdrop for several scenes, such as when the Jawas captured R2-D2, Tuskens attacked Luke, and when we first met Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Ghost town
Home in disarray
Surveying the damage
Breaking down walls
Rebuilding stairs
Making things right
Home security
Almost there...
Fresh paint
For future generations
The finished product
A closer look
Inside the Lars home
Obi-Wan's home
Chalmun's Cantina
Who can forget the cantina full of scum and villainy featured in "Star Wars: A New Hope"? You may also remember it as the location where we see Han Solo and Chewbacca for the first time, and where Greedo met his demise. Now surrounded by apartment buildings, this worn-down building once served as a bakery.
For still more of the Lars homestead restoration journey, check out the supplementary videos shot during each day of the trip.