Dune is an otherworldly epic, but there are places here on Earth that look just like fortresses found on Arakkis.
There are giant, looming mosques in the desert, ancient city-states with history lost to time, gargantuan spiral buildings that could house ice in searing heat, surprisingly impressive pigeon towers, and a lot more.
Go back to ancient times and see that they were building this stuff long before the Fremen made it cool.
1
The Great Mosque of Djenné
Located in present day Mali, this has been the site of mosques in various forms since the 13th century.
2
Seljuk caravanserai
An ancient inn dating back to the 13th century, located in Nogonbade, Turkey.
3
Mud-Brick House in Kashan, Iran
Kashan features several adobe and mud-brick homes with unique architecture, dating back to over 200 years ago .
4
Ksar Draa of Timimoun
Located in Timimoun, Algeria, this is an ancient ruined city of the Sahara whose history has been lost to the centuries
5
Central Mosque of Ghardaia
Located in Ghardaia, Algeria, this mosque doubles as a fortress and dates back to the 11th century.
6
Ghaznavid minaret
The city of Ghazni in Afghanistan features several minarets. This one was built in the 12th century.
7
Itchan Kala South Gate
A gate in Uzbekistan dating back to the 18th century.
8
The Agadir Of Amtoudi
An ancient fortified granary in the Moroccan mountains built over 800 years ago.
9
Nuraghe Piscu
An ancient megalithic edifice found in Sardinia, Italy, developed during the Nuragic Age between 1900 and 730 BC.
10
The Great Mosque of Samarra
Located in present day Iraq, this mosque dates back to the 9th century.
11
Abarkooh Ice House
This ancient refrigerator stored ice for surviving the harsh desert climate, and was built around 400 BC.
12
The Nahargarh Fort step well
Located in Jaipur, India, this stepwell was commissioned in 1734 and translated directly to “Adobe of Tigers”.
13
Stone Towers of Asir
Located in the Asir, Saudi Arabia, these watch towers were built over seven-hundred years ago.
14
Hegra
An ancient tomb in present day Saudi Arabia, it is one of the oldest and best preserved tombs dating back to the 1st century B.C.
16
Great Kyz Kala
A large ruined fortress in the ancient city of Merv, now in Turkmenistan. It was most likely completed in the 6th or 7th century.
18
Bai Harir Vav Ahmedabad
A stepwell in India, constructed in 1499.
19
Adalaj Stepwell
Located close to Gandhinagar capital of Indian state Gujarat, it was built in 1498 in the memory of Rana Veer Singh of the Vaghela dynasty.
20
Ark of Bukhara
A massive fortress located in the city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan, that was initially built and occupied around the 5th century AD.
21
Chand Baori
Located in the village of Abhaneri, India, and completed in the year 900, this is one of the largest and deepest stepwells in India.
22
Kaymakli Underground City
Built around the 8th century A.D., this underground city in present-day Turkey is one of the first structures ever built in soft volcanic rock.
23
Mardavij pigeon tower
Located in Isfahan, Iran, and built in the 17th century, it is one of the largest examples of its kind.
24
The Emin Minaret
Located near Turpan in China, this monument to Islam was constructed by local Uyghur Muslims in 1778.
