Armchair Traveller 8 Trivia Quiz

Answer: It's sticky and chewy.

Dondurma is common in Turkey, as well as in Greece. It is mixed in barrels and beaten with long metal rods. The orchid root is used to make salep, which (along with mastic resin) makes the ice cream chewy. Dondurma is often sold by street vendors, who trick their customers by twisting the ice cream and turning it upside down.

The ice cream clings to the stick and stretches, rather than drips. Its consistency is similar to bread dough.

Answer: India

The Marwari gets its name from the region of India that it was developed in. It was originally bred for use as a cavalry horse from the 12th century onward, but has also been used in agriculture, showjumping, and polo. Marwari horses were incredibly rare in the 20th century and were banned from export. The breed has a calm temperament so has been used to teach polo to beginners.

Answer: BT Tower

The BT Tower opened for business in London in 1965 and became the tallest building in the city at 191 metres (including the antenna). It was a communications tower, so it needed to be taller than the surrounding skyscrapers that were undergoing development in London at the time.

The tower contained offices and a revolving restaurant displaying a panoramic view of the capital from 158 metres. The location of the tower was an official secret for decades after it was built, despite being an iconic structure in London's skyline.

Answer: A baksy

Although Kazakhstan was largely Muslim at the start of the 21st century, some people still believed in the older local tradition of baksis. Baksis were like shamans: they were believed to have spiritual knowledge and powers. They gave advice and performed rituals. Every baksy was different and some incorporated elements of Islam into their practice.

A guru is a spiritual leader in Hinduism and Sikhism, and a layman is someone who is not ordained in a church. 'Primus maximus' is a made-up phrase meaning 'the biggest first' in Latin.

Answer: Danish

The Faroe Islands are located between Iceland and the Scottish Shetland Islands. For hundreds of years it was under the control of Denmark. Danish was the language used in schools, churches, and other public places. The native Faroese language was forbidden and was only spoken within the home. Faroese was an oral language for a very long time - the first Faroese dictionary was only compiled in the 19th century.

Answer: USA

Parts of the island of Taiwan were colonised by the Spanish and the Dutch during the 17th century. It was annexed by the Chinese Qing dynasty until they ceded control of it to Japan at the end of the 19th century. After World War II, Taiwan was once again part of the Republic of China. Politics on the mainland, however, was leaning towards communism, resulting in a complex political situation in the following decades. Eventually, Taiwan and mainland China went their separate ways.

Each colonial nation made an impact on Taiwanese society. There are remnants of each culture in Taiwan's architecture, languages, and religions.

Answer: World War I

While Armistice negotiations took place, a fleet of German ships were interned at Scapa Flow in Scotland between 1918 and 1919. It was decided that the ships would not be returned to Germany, but whether they were destroyed or redistributed among the Allies was yet to be decided. Rear-Admiral Ludwig von Reuter did not want to surrender the ships to the enemy, so on 21st June 1919, he sent a signal for the fleet to be scuttled.

The ships were purposely sunk by their own crews: pipes were smashed, flood valves were opened, and holes were put in the hulls of some of the ships.

Answer: His hands were cut off so that the palace remained one-of-a-kind.

Beiteddine Palace is an astounding feat of architecture near Beirut in Lebanon. It was built by Emir Bashir Chehab II, who was the appointed governor of the region by the Ottomans. The building features a large courtyard, fountains, opulent decorations and mosaics.

The palace is said to have been created at a high human cost: men worked on the project for days without pay and the architect was rumoured to have had his hands cut off.

Answer: A car

The Citroen 2CV, first manufactured in 1948, was nicknamed the 'tin snail'. It was designed to be practical and affordable for farmers in post-war France. The car was known for its suspension: according to the adverts, you could drive over a field carrying a basket of eggs and none of them would break. Over five million were produced before the last tin snail rolled out of the factory in 1990.

Answer: 1395

Gyeongbokgung Palace was built in 1395 and was the residence of the Kings of the Joseon dynasty. In the 16th century, the palace was destroyed in a fire and abandoned until it was restored in the 19th century. The palace complex consisted of hundreds of buildings until they were torn down during the Japanese occupation. Gyeongbokgung became a museum and started to be restored and reconstructed at the end of the 20th century.