A Tea Time Quiz - Ten Capital 'T's

Answer: Tehran

Although the origins of the city of Tehran, the capital of Iran, can be traced back thousands of years, much of the architecture of the modern day city dates from the 20th century. Reza Shah Pahlavi, who was the country's ruling Shah from 1925 to 1941, ordered the demolition of many of the city's ancient buildings (including part of the Golestan Palace, the old citadel and the city walls) in the 1930s and their replacement with practical, commercial alternatives such as the National Bank building and the Military Academy.

The white marble Azadi Tower stands at the western entrance to Tehran and was built in 1971 to commemorate 2,500 years of the Persian Empire. The Milad Tower, completed in 2009, stands 435 metres high and was designed as a multi-purpose space housing facilities such as a trade centre, a hotel, an art gallery and a revolving restaurant.

Answer: Tallinn

The Gulf of Finland is located in the Baltic Sea and is bordered by Finland to the north, Russia to the east and Estonia to the south. Much of the commercial development of Estonia's capital city, Tallinn, has relied on its location on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. In the 13th century it was a member of the Hanseatic League (a defensive and trade alliance of cities and market towns across Northern Europe) and it has been a major port city for hundreds of years. Maritime industries such as shipbuilding and tourism from visiting cruise liners also contribute to the city's economy.

The old part of the city with its towers, walls and medieval buildings became Estonia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Its designation was made under two of UNESCO's key cultural criteria relating to both its architecture and design and its historical importance.

Answer: Tbilisi

The Mt'k'vari River (also known as the Kura River) flows for over 1,500 kilometres (940 miles) from the Caucasus mountains to the Caspian Sea and along the way it passes through the city of Tbilisi - the capital of Georgia. The city's name comes from the Georgian "T'pilisi" and can be translated into English as "warm location". Obviously this term relates to the sulphuric hot springs that are commonly found in the area. These springs are also believed to have been the reason why the city was founded in its specific location in around the 5th century AD. Like many towns and cities located on natural springs, Tbilisi was noted for its public baths - its ancient Abanotubani area literally means "bath district".

Tbilisi first became the capital of Georgia in the early 12th century, but the area swiftly passed into the control of other major powers for centuries, including the Mongols, Ottomans, Iranians and Russians. When Georgia declared its independence following the break-up of the USSR in 1991, Tbilisi was reinstated as the nation's capital city.

Answer: Tokyo

In Japan, 'prefecture' is the term given to the top-level administrative divisions of the country. Originally, the city of Tokyo was governed separately from the wider district that formed the Tokyo Prefecture. However, they were merged in 1943 to form an overall metropolitan prefecture. The city gained both its name and its official status as the capital of Japan in 1868 when Emperor Meiji moved his residence to the city and renamed it from Edo to Tokyo. However, in practical terms the city had been the seat of Japan's government since the early 17th century.

The main area of the city and prefecture is located on Japan's largest island, Honshu. However, the metropolitan prefecture of Tokyo also includes the volcanic Izu Islands, which stretch south-east from the Izu Peninsula, and the much more distant Ogasawara Islands, an archipelago located around 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) south of the mainland.

Answer: Tripoli

Tripoli - the one which is the capital city of the African nation of Libya - is located on the edge of the Sahara Desert, hence its hot and dry climate. Its history is believed to date back to its founding in the 7th century BC by the Phoenicians - a group who also controlled the city of Tripoli in Lebanon. The Libyan Tripoli is sometimes known as the 'Tripoli-of-the-West' to distinguish it from its namesake.

As Tripoli has had a long history under the rule of numerous peoples and empires it contains a wide variety of landmarks and architectural styles, including the Roman Arch of Marcus Aurelius, the old walled city known as the Medina and Italian buildings such as the former Roman Catholic Cathedral (since converted into a mosque).

Answer: Tashkent

The Silk Road network developed over hundreds of years from around the 1st century BC through into the medieval period. It eventually provided a trade network across the Eurasian continent connecting Italy (via a sea route) and Eastern Europe to the Middle East, northern Africa, central Asia and China. One of the many modern day countries along the route is Uzbekistan. Its capital city, Tashkent, owed much of its historical prosperity to its position on the Silk Road and the subsequent trade opportunities.

Geographically, Tashkent sits to the west of the Altai Mountains and is in a seismically active area. In 1966 an earthquake (measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale) caused major damage to the city and destroyed most of its ancient buildings. As a result, modern Tashkent is a prime example of Soviet town planning and architecture - wide roads, grand squares and large residential and commercial complexes.

Answer: Tirana

The Balkan Peninsula is located in south-east Europe and takes its name from the chain of mountains that run through its north-eastern section. Its boundaries are open to some interpretation, but around a dozen countries have territory on the peninsula, including Greece; Bulgaria; the various states that were formerly part of Yugoslavia; and Albania - the country of which Tirana is the capital city. Mount Dajti, which rises to just over 1,600 metres (5,290 feet) above sea level, was declared a National Park in 1966 and is known as the "Natural Balcony of Tirana".

Skanderbeg Square in central Tirana is a large public square flanked by buildings that include the National Museum of History and the Palace of Culture. It is also home to a statue of George Castriot, otherwise known as Skanderbeg, who was Lord of Albania and a revered military leader of the country in the 15th century.

Answer: Thimphu

Thimphu became the capital city of Bhutan - the Land of the Thunder Dragon - in 1961. At that time it was little more than a collection of small villages surrounding the Tashichho Dzong, an 18th century fortress and Buddhist temple. However, the capital soon grew into a city when urban development accelerated after Bhutan opened its economy to the rest of the world and joined the United Nations in 1971. Despite all this development, the architecture of Thimphu generally retains the traditional Bhutanese designs - even in the modern buildings!

Although the history of the Tashichho Dzong dates back to the 18th century, it has actually been rebuilt numerous times over the years as a result of devastating fires and a serious earthquake. It houses the throne room and offices of Bhutan's monarchy as well as various government departments. In 2008, Bhutan's system of government transferred from an absolute monarchy to a democratic system of constitutional monarchy.

Answer: Tunis

The exact date of origin of the city of Tunis is unknown but sources can date it back to at least the 6th century BC, when it was under the control of its more powerful neighbour, Carthage. The Punic Wars that raged between Carthage and the Roman Empire between 264 and 146 BC eventually ended in the destruction of both Carthage and Tunis. However, while Carthage remained ruined, Tunis was rebuilt by the Romans and went on to be an important port and naval base under Arab, Berber, Ottoman and French control, before it became the capital city of modern day Tunisia in 1956.

In addition to Tunisia, the Gulf of Tunis (a large bay of the Mediterranean Sea) and Lake Tunis (a shallow lake that was once a natural harbour for Tunis) both take their names from the city.

Answer: Tegucigalpa

Tegucigalpa is the capital city of the Central American nation of Honduras. It is centrally located in the southern part of the country and sits in a high mountain valley, separated from its 'sister city' of Comayagüela by the Choluteca River. You might expect that a city so far above sea level would be safe from flooding, but the presence of the Choluteca River means that the city is prone to suffering flood damage during the rainy season. In particular, the city was devastated by flooding after Hurricane Mitch tore through the Caribbean, Central America and the southern United States in 1998.

The city dates back to the 16th century, but was built on the site of a settlement belonging to various indigenous peoples, including the Pech and the Tolupan. Spanish invasion and settlement of the area that is now Honduras began in 1524 by Gil Gonzalez Dávila and Hernán Cortés. The country was then under Spanish rule for nearly three hundred years; they gained their independence in 1821.