Karakorum to Kairouan Via "K" Cities Quiz

Answer: Mongolia

Karakorum was the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire, between 1235 and 1260. Then the Mongol capital was moved to a city called Khanbaliq, modern-day Beijing, by Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan's grandson. Karakorum was destroyed by Ming dynasty troops and even though only its ruins remain today, it is a very important archaeological site, situated in the valley of the River Orkhon in north-west Mongolia.

A modern Soviet-style city by the name of Kharkhorin was built a few kilometers from the ancient city; it, too, was destroyed during the Stalinist purges in Mongolia.

Answer: Sweden

Kiruna is a small town in the land of the indigenous Sami people, Lapland. In the 1900s, the city became an important center of iron ore extraction and in the 1960s Esrange Space Center, a rocket and space research center, was established for the study of the weather and the aurora borealis, rocket launches and satellite tracking. Like any self-respecting arctic city, it features a beautiful ice hotel (Jukkasjärvi), open every year from December to April. Sweden and Norway are Nordic countries, but Russia and Lithuania are not.

Answer: Czech Republic

This spa city is also known as Carlsbad. It has been famous for its thermal springs since the 14th century, when it was established during the reign of the king of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, after whom the city was named. For about 500 years, roughly until the beginning of WWI, it was arguably the favorite spa resort of the European aristocracy, a notion evident in the glamorous architecture of its buildings.

After the end of the Communist era, the city became a major tourist attraction once again.

Answer: Jamaica

Situated between the Blue Mountains and its natural harbor, Kingston is a large and lively city, offering an interesting variety of places to visit, the historic Downtown, the Bob Marley museum, restaurants, open markets, the posh Uptown district and shanty-towns. The natural harbor, one of the world's largest, is protected by the Palisadoes, a sandy narrow peninsula.

Answer: Solomon Islands

Kirakira is a small city on the Makira Island of the Solomon Islands. It is not a tourist destination and gets very few visitors, a fact that the islanders have been trying to reverse. Kirakira has black beaches, great surfing and snorkeling spots, and traditional houses built with palm branches. It connects with Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, with a 45-minute flight.

Answer: Japan

Kobe is a port city which sits on the southern side of Honshu Island. It is among the largest of Japanese cities. The city is famous for Kobe beef, a very expensive, flavorful, fatty, well-marbled beef which comes from carefully breeding Tajima cattle. Kobe beef is a registered trademark, its popularity in the United States has created the "Kobe-style beef" from cross-breeding Wagyu, Angus and Holstein cattle.

In 1995, Kobe was hit by a 6.9 earthquake which left a large portion of the city and the port in ruins, 6500 people dead, and hundreds of thousands homeless.

Answer: Pakistan

Karachi was Pakistan's capital before it was moved to Islamabad, but it remains the financial center of the country and the largest city in the Muslim world with a 2013 population of 23.5 million people in its metropolitan area. Being a financial and trading center, Karachi is also more cosmopolitan than the rural parts of Pakistan, often compared to New York because of its fast-paced and "time is money" attitude.

Answer: Turkey

The trip from Karachi to Kayseri is a very long and dangerous drive through half of Asia but Kayseri is worth it. This historically rich and yet very modern city takes its name from Roman Caesarea, from Caesar Augustus, first Emperor of the Roman Empire. Kayseri has been continuously inhabited for 5000 years and it was an important station on the Silk Road.

The city is a very interesting mixture of Roman fortification walls, Byzantine churches, Seljuk tombs and mosques and, last but not least, modern buildings--among them the impressive post-modern Kadir Has Stadium. Kayseri's most famous artisanal product is the Kayseri silk prayer rug.

Answer: Greece

Well, not exactly a "hop" but Greece and Turkey are close enough. Kos is an island in the Dodecanese group of islands in the Aegean Sea. Its name is mentioned in Homer's "Iliad" since a group of Koans supposedly took part in the Trojan War. The island is rich in archaeological sites, dating from the 11th century BC.

It is the birthplace of the physician Hippocrates who is considered the "Father of Western Medicine". He was trained at the Asclepeion of Kos, an ancient temple dedicated to Asclepius, the god of healing.

Answer: Tunisia

Kairouan is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a very important city of the Sunni Muslim world, next only to Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. The Great Mosque of Kairouan (Mosque of Uqba), one of the oldest mosques in the world, dates from 670 AD and is built in the city. Kairouan was established as a military post by an Arab general and its name comes from the Persian "karvan" (caravan), meaning military or civilian camp, resting place.

The Tunisian island of Djerba, according to myth, is the Homeric Land of the Lotus Eaters, where Odysseus was stranded on his journey back to Ithaca.