Earlier this month I wrote about 21 Abandoned Movie Sets That Everyone Can Visit. One such site was the complex of buildings in Tunisia that served as the set for Luke Skywalker's home planet of Tatooine. Yet recent developments have led government officials in countries including Britain and the United States to caution tourists against visiting a number of areas in Tunisia, including some relatively near destinations with remnants of Star Wars sets.
It seems that the Tunisian city of Tataouine has become a "way station" transit point for terrorists looking to enter Libya to join ISIS. The city Tataouine, the name of which inspired the name Tatooine in the film, is some 60 miles from the Libyan border. The United States Embassy warns travelers to stay away from border areas. The British government cautions against "all but essential travel" to a large expanse that includes Tataouine as well as the sites of a number of Star Wars film locations, including Nefta, the location of the exterior scenes representing Luke Skywalker's childhood home.
Recently ISIS has been overtaking and controlling territories with intent to establish a caliphate (Islamic government). It is estimated that the terrorist organization controls one third of Syria and is quickly making gains in Iraq. Read more on the story here.