Here Be Dungeons Trivia Quiz

Answer: London

Located in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, the White Tower is the central keep of the Tower of London, a historic castle commissioned by William the Conqueror. It is one of the iconic landmarks of the city. Completed around 1100, the White Tower is the oldest medieval building at the Tower of London and is named for the white Caen stone from which it is built. Located in its basement, below the Chapel of St John's, is "Little Ease", the smallest dungeon (at four foot square) in the castle. It was notorious as prisoners were unable to sit, stand or lie but were forced into a crouched position during their time in the cell.

The three incorrect answers do all have their own colourful historic landmarks, namely Red Square in Moscow, the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and the White House in Washington DC.

Answer: Calgary

The largest city in the province of Alberta, Calgary lies in a river valley between the Canadian Prairies and the eastern foothills of the Canadian Rockies. It is home to the world famous Calgary Stampede, the rodeo extravaganza, which is held annually in July. In 1988, Calgary became the first Canadian city to host a winter Olympic Games.

Situated in Patterson Heights overlooking Calgary, Hart House was bought by Stu Hart, founder of Stampede Wrestling, in 1951. The basement of the house was converted into a gym and training room which became known as "The Dungeon" because of its strict regimen. It was famed for producing, amongst others, such personalities as "Superstar" Billy Graham and Stu's son, "Brett Hitman" Hart.

Answer: Charleston

Known as the Holy City, partly because of the number of church steeples that punctuate its skyline and partly because it was one of the few cities in the colonies with a policy of religious tolerance, Charleston is the second largest city in South Carolina. It is situated where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers flow into the Atlantic, and moved to its present location on Oyster Point in 1680. Originally named "Charles Towne" after King Charles II of England, it adopted its present name in 1783. Fort Sumter, widely recognized as the place where the Civil War began, is located in Charleston Harbor.

Completed in 1771, the Old Exchange Building and Provost Dungeon is South Carolina's most historic building and was once the focal point of the economic and social scene of the colony. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973, the building is now operated as a museum with the dungeon forming part of many of the popular ghost tours operated in the city.

Answer: Lake Geneva

Lake Geneva, the largest body of water in Switzerland and also known as Lac Leman in French, lies between Switzerland and France. Approximately 60% of its area is controlled by Switzerland and 40% by France. Formed by a glacial action, the lake lies on the River Rhone and is made up of the Grand Lac (Large Lake) and the Petit Lac (Little Lake).

Chillon Castle, which lies on a rocky islet on the shores of Lake Geneva near the town of Montreaux, is famous for its dungeons with their vaulted gothic arches cut into the rock upon which the castle stands. Chillon Castle was popularized by Lord Byron (who carved his name on one of the dungeon pillars) in the 1816 poem "The Prisoner of Chillon" about Francois de Bonivard who was imprisoned in the dungeons from 1530 to 1536.

Answer: Toledo

Perched on a hill above the Rio Tajo or River Tagus, Toledo is located about 70 kilometres (44 miles) south west of Madrid. Known as "La Ciudad Imperial" or "The Imperial City", Toledo has been occupied since Roman times and served as the capital of Spain from the times of the Gothic conquest in the 6th century until 1560. Famed as the home of the painter, El Greco, the city has a tradition for fine steelmaking which dates back to about 500BC. The city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.

The stone fortress of the Alcazar sits on the highest point of Toledo and featured prominently in the Spanish Civil War. In 1936, the Siege of the Alcazar took place during which Republican forces kept the Nationalist forces under siege for two months before they were defeated. Although badly damaged, the Alcazar became a symbol of Spanish nationalism and was repaired after the war. Today it is a museum.

All three wrong answers are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Answer: Ghana

In 1957, the former British colony of the Gold Coast was renamed Ghana when it became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence. Situated in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana is sandwiched between Cote d'Ivoire to the west and Togo to the east with Burkina Faso being its northern neighbour. It is home to the world's largest artificial lake by surface area, Lake Volta. Cape Coast, situated approximately 165 kilometres west of the country's capital, Accra, is the capital of the Central Region. It was once the hub of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade where slaves waiting to make the Atlantic crossing were housed, earning the area the nickname of "the gate of no return".

The Cape Coast Castle and Dungeon was originally built by Swedish traders but was converted for use in the slave trade when dungeons to hold the slaves were added. The castle, together with other slave castles in the area, have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979.

Answer: Paris

Nicknamed "Le Ville Lumiere" or the "City of Light", Paris, the capital of France, is situated on the banks of the River Seine in the north of the country. Paris is divided into twenty "arrondissements" or administrative districts. Bordering three of these districts on the right bank of the River Seine, is the Place de la Bastille. This square stands on the former location of the Bastion de Saint Antoine or The Bastille as it is more popularly known. The fortress, with its infamous dungeons, was used as a prison by the French kings, and became a hated symbol of royal authority. The storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 marked the start of the French revolution.

Today nothing remains of the building, and the square is home to the Bastille Opera which was opened on 14 July 1989 as part of the bicentennial celebrations of the revolution.

Answer: Tortola

Tortola is largest island in the chain of islands which make up the British Virgin Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean Sea, to the east of Puerto Rico. Mountainous in terrain, its capital and main settlement is Road Town which is situated on the island's south coast. It is thought that the island's name originated with Christopher Columbus and it means "Land of the Dove". Tortola's main source of income is derived from financial services and tourism.

Fort Purcell is a ruined fort which was originally built by the Dutch around 1794 near Pockwood Pond. Nicknamed "The Dungeon" because of its underground magazine, it is not known for certain whether prisoners were ever actually ever kept there. Today the site is overgrown and in need of restoration.

Answer: Cape Town

South Africa's legislative capital, Cape Town is the country's second largest city and the seat of the National Parliament. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast and nestled between Table Mountain and the shores of Table Bay, Cape Town was established as a trading post by the Dutch in 1652.

Located halfway between Cape Town and Cape Point is the suburb of Hout Bay. At the mouth of the bay is an open ocean reef known as Dungeons, which is one of the sixteen recognized "big wave spots" in the surfing world. Home to the annual Red Bull Big Wave Africa contest, Dungeons is infamous for huge swells which have been recorded at over fourteen metres (47 feet), strong currents and cold water. As if this wasn't scary enough to put off even the most dedicated surfer, the area is also known for its population of great white sharks.

Answer: Alcatraz Island

Also known as "The Rock", Alcatraz Island is located in San Francisco Bay about 2.4 kilometres (1.5 miles) from the San Francisco shoreline. Approximately twelve acres in size, the island gets its name from the Spanish "Isla de los Alcatraces" or "Isle of the Pelicans", and was used as a federal penitentiary from 1933 to 1963. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 and is now one of the foremost tourist attractions in the area.

Although better known for "The Hole", a series of sensory deprivation cells, Alcatraz does have underground dungeons. These were built in the 1860s when the island was converted into a military fortress and were used for punishment until 1942. The conditions were considered too harsh and inhumane and their further use was forbidden.