A UNESCO Tour With a Difference Quiz

Answer: Egypt

The Nubian monuments situated along the Nile include such monuments as the Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel and the Sanctuary of Isis at Philae. They were granted World Heritage status in 1979.

Answer: Turkey

Located is south-west Turkey, Ephesus was famed for its proximity to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. A former Roman settlement, Ephesus boasted the Library of Celsus and a 24,000 seat theatre. Completely abandoned in the 15th century, Ephesus was granted World Heritage status in 2015.

Answer: Yemen

Continuously inhabited for over 2500 years, Sana'a is situated in a mountain valley. The city is noted for its rammed-earth and burnt brick tower houses. A centre for the spread of Islam during the 7th and 8th centuries, Sana'a boasts 103 mosques. It was granted World Heritage status in 1986.

Answer: New Zealand

Inscribed for its geological and cultural significance, many of the peaks in Tongariro National Park are sacred to the Maori people and symbolise the spiritual links between the community and its environment. The park has a diverse range of ecosystems and is home to both active and extinct volcanoes. It was granted World Heritage status in 1990.

Answer: Denmark

Located in Helsingor at the narrowest point of the Oresund, Kronborg Castle in one of the most important Renaissance castles in northern Europe. Built in the late 16th century, the castle was destroyed by fire in 1629 and rebuilt in almost exactly the same shape. Immortalised as Elsinore in Shakespeare's Hamlet, the castle was granted World Heritage status in 2000.

Answer: Kenya

The oldest and best preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa, Lamu is built in coral stone and mangrove timber. The host of major Muslim religious festivals since the 19th century, Lamu has become a significant centre for the study of Islamic and Swahili cultures. It was granted World Heritage status in 2001.

Answer: Azerbaijan

Gobustan boasts more than 6000 rock engravings spanning 40,000 years of human presence in the area. The site is also home to the remains of inhabited caves, settlements and burials dating back the the wet period following the last Ice Age. Gobustan was granted World Heritage status in 2007.

Answer: Nepal

Born in 623 BC, Gautama Buddha is the founder of Buddhism. Lumbini is regarded as one of the holiest places in Buddhism and has pilgrimage sites dating back to the 3rd century BC. Lumbini was granted World Heritage status in 1997.

Answer: Luxembourg

Ok, this one should have been a gimme.

The City of Luxembourg was built around a 10th century fortification on an almost inaccessible rock. Due to its strategic position, Luxembourg passed between many European powers, each of which added to the fortifications. It was granted World Heritage status in 1994.

Answer: Gabon

Situated on the equator in northern Gabon, Ivindo covers almost 300,00 hectares and features several blackwater rivers including rapids and waterfalls, bordered by intact rainforest. The park is home to several threatened species of mammal and birds, while the rivers house 13 threatened species of fish. The park was granted World Heritage status in 2021.

Answer: Netherlands

Built in the 1920s in Rotterdam, the Van Nelle Factory was initially used to process tea, coffee and tobacco. The factory is famed as an example of the International Style of architecture developed in the 1920s and 1930s, the facades are made mostly of steel and glass. It was granted World Heritage status in 2014.

Answer: Seychelles

Consisting of four large coral islands and a lagoon surrounded by coral reef, Aldabra is the world's second-largest coral atoll, after Kiritimati (Christmas Island). Due to its inaccessibility, Aldabra has remained protected from human influence and is home to the world's largest collection of giant tortoises, around 152,000. It was granted World Heritage status in 1982.

Answer: Switzerland

Founded in St Gallen in the 8th century and secularized in 1805, the Convent of St Gall was one of the most important Carolingian monasteries in Europe. Its library is one of the richest and oldest in the world and contains many precious manuscripts, including the earliest known architectural plan drawn on parchment. It was granted World Heritage status in 1983.

Answer: Dominican Republic

Founded in 1498, shortly after the arrival of Christopher Columbus, Santo Domingo housed the first cathedral, hospital, customs house and university in the Americas. The town's grid pattern became the model for many other colonial towns in the New World. The city was granted World Heritage status in 1990.

Answer: Chile

The indigenous name for Easter Island, Rapa Nui is located in the south eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the most remote inhabited spot on Earth and as such remained free from external influences. The Rapa Nui are of Polynesian origin and settled on the island around 300 BC. From the 10th to 16th centuries, the Rapa Nui built several enormous stone figures known as moai.

The park was granted World Heritage status in 1995.