Sci-fi set designers don’t need to go off-world for their insane ideas.

Since Star Wars, it’s been pretty common in sci-fi films to show ancient, epic civilizations and societies as though they’re on some far-off, fantastical planet. But that inspiration had to come from somewhere, and it turns out most of the places we see in Star Wars and Dune look like CGI knockoffs of some pretty sick places on our own planet.

Here are some pics of ancient forgotten city-states, insanely cool temples, mountain cities, and more that show George Lucas and all those sci-fi visionaries stole all their best ideas from National Geographic.