City Of The Dead Trivia Quiz

Answer: The City Of The Dead

Of more than 20 nicknames for New Orleans, "The City Of The Dead" is not one according to the Convention and Visitors Bureau. New Orleans is, however, famous for its cemeteries, which are sometimes referred to as cities of the dead.

Answer: The city is below sea level; dig down a few feet and there is water

In general, New Orleans is eight feet below sea level. Levees were built to keep out the water from two rivers and an intricate system of pumping stations work together to keep the city dry. At least, that's how it's all supposed to work.

Answer: True

This is absolutely true. With the high temperatures in Louisiana, these above ground tombs act as a sort of crematorium. Within about one year, the only part of the body that is left is bone. Some accounts say that bones are dropped down to the floor of the crypt and the tomb is again available for the newly dead.

Other accounts say the bones are placed in bags and stored individually within the crypt interior after two years. In any case, these buildings are generally built by and for an entire family and used over and over.

Answer: You use a vault set aside just for these situations

In most cases, temporary holding vaults are available. Once the first family member can be 'moved on', the next family member is moved to their permanent home.

Answer: They look like miniature cities

The tombs, vaults and monuments for the most part are beautiful and sometimes appear to be scaled down homes or mansions. These are built along wide walk ways that are called streets and there are even street signs. There are narrow walk ways that lead from the 'streets' to the 'houses'. Each cemetery resembles a scaled down city.

Answer: True

Tour guides love to see the shocked expressions and hear the gasps when they tell the stories of early settlers burying their loved ones just as they had always done in their homeland only to see them floating by after a heavy rain. The caskets were airtight and when rains came and the rivers swelled, the caskets pushed through the earth and floated to the surface.

The settlers tried drilling holes in the caskets and filled them with sand or rocks but this didn't always work, as well as being unsanitary and a health hazard.

Answer: Saint Louis

Saint Louis 1 opened in 1789, and is the oldest in New Orleans. It is one block from the French Quarter. Although it is only one block square there are over 100,000 dead resting there. A Voodoo priestess is reportedly buried there. Saint Louis 2 is three blocks from 1, having opened in 1823. Saint Louis 3 is two miles from the French Quarter, and was opened in 1854.

Answer: Go in groups (never alone) during the day.

Although people are encouraged to visit the cemeteries and many tours spend time in and around one or more of these historic sites, people are encouraged to always go during daylight hours and with a group or at the very least, with one other person. The narrow paths and many places for concealment encourage muggers, thieves, drug dealers, etc.

Answer: A jazz funeral

The music and dancing are taken from African traditions and are intended to help the living and celebrate the dead. Until the mid 20th century, this tradition was frowned upon by some caucasians and religious groups. Some of these jazz funerals last a week or more. Most start at the home of the deceased, proceed to the church or funeral home for a service and then lead the casket to the cemetery.

In 2006, there was a jazz funeral for 1700 victims of Hurricane Katrina. A horse drawn hearse with an empty casket was led from the convention center where many were stranded without food and water just one year before.

Answer: True

It's true, it's true. There is a cemetery (also a slum area) in Cairo that is called the city of the dead. The word 'necropolis' is derived from a Greek word that means city of the dead. There is a British horror film entitled 'The City Of The Dead', a Dr. Who novel and a 2005 Brian Keene novel by that name.

A Finnish band has recorded a song with the name and a video game with the name that was based on George Romero's 'Dead' series has been cancelled.