The New Ancient Egypt Trivia Quiz

Answer: London, UK

Harrods, the department store in London, first opened in 1849. Although the company had small beginnings, the shop became known for its extravagance and its palatial building. One of the more modern quirks of the department store was the Egyptian Escalator and Hall. It was commissioned by Mohamed al Fayed in 1997; he owned Harrods at the time.

Ancient Egyptian-style statues and embellishments adorned the Egyptian Room, including the sculpture of a sphinx featuring al Fayed's face. Historic England considered the Egyptian Escalator to be part of the building's charm, but since Harrods was sold to a new owner in 2010, plans to return to some of the store's art deco designs were put into place.

Answer: Jungfraujoch, Switzerland

Perched on top of a rocky summit known as 'The Top of Europe', the Sphinx Observatory was built at over 3400 meters above sea level. In 1937, it opened for scientists to conduct research at high altitude. An exceedingly fast lift takes passengers up 108 metres to the observation deck in a mere 25 seconds.

The sphinx was a mythical creature who posed a riddle to travellers. If they couldn't answer correctly, the sphinx killed them.

Answer: Alberta, Canada

The pyramids are an icon of Ancient Egypt, but many modern architects have taken the concept to create state-of-the-art buildings. Muttart Conservatory in Canada features pyramid-shaped greenhouses full of interesting plants from different biomes. Three of the pyramids are regulated to represent differing climates: arid, temperate, and tropical. The fourth pyramid features changing, seasonal exhibits throughout the year. Muttart Conservatory opened in Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, in 1976.

Edmonton's city hall also features a pyramid design.

Answer: Montana, USA

At 3,300 metres, Sphinx Mountain rises out of Montana's Madison County. It is geologically significant because of the Eocene rock formation known as the Sphinx Conglomerate. Wolverines, elk and grizzly bears call the area home, so hikers and campers should take precautions.

The mythical sphinx, significant in Ancient Egyptian culture, had a lion's body and a human head. One of the oldest surviving artistic representations of the creature is the Great Sphinx at Giza.

Answer: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Wafi isn't really a city; it's a commercial development with a variety of purposes. Inspired by the architecture of Ancient Egypt, the complex opened in 1991 with columns, statues, and pyramid-shaped buildings. Over time, Wafi City changed and expanded. Features of the site included a shopping mall, restaurants, a hotel, and a children's play area.

Other nods to Ancient Egypt were Cleopatra's Spa and Pharaohs' Club gym.

Answer: Nevada, USA

Like many buildings on the Las Vegas Strip, Luxor's design was iconic and a little outrageous. A hotel with a twist, the 30-storey pyramid-shaped building boasts 'pyramid rooms' with slanted windows. It has stood alongside other icons on the Strip like the medieval-themed Excalibur Hotel and Casino, and the New York-New York Hotel and Casino with its own replica Statue of Liberty.

Luxor is a city in Egypt known for its ancient architecture. Among other landmarks, it is home to the Valley of the Kings.

Answer: Paris, France

Designed by I.M. Pei, the Louvre Pyramid was inaugurated in 1989. Made of metal and glass, it was designed to be the entrance to the museum and sat in the main courtyard of the much older Louvre Palace. When it was built, it was created to accommodate 4.5 million visitors annually. By 2014 the museum had almost ten million visitors each year, so the pyramid interior had to be updated to accommodate them all.

Answer: London, UK

Cleopatra's Needle was an obelisk constructed around 1450 BCE in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis. In order to commemorate the British victory over Napoleon in Egypt in the late 18th and early 19th century, it was set on a plinth to create a contemporary monument in 1878. A time capsule containing Victorian artefacts was placed beneath the landmark before it was erected. The obelisk was transported by sea from Egypt to England and is one of two pairs; the others being in Paris, New York, and Luxor.


Despite its name, the obelisk had nothing to do with Cleopatra - it was already over 1000 years old when she was alive.

Answer: Tatarstan, Russia

In the 1990s, construction began on Piramida in the Tartarstan region of Russia. The pyramid-shaped concert hall and entertainment complex played host to events and conferences throughout the year. When it was built, the glass tip of the building featured a restaurant offering panoramic views of the city while guests ate their food.

Other establishments like a night club, gym, and a beauty salon were incorporated over time.

Answer: Arizona, USA

The phoenix was a mythical bird that was associated with sun worship in Ancient Egypt. When the bird came to the end of its life, it would create its own funeral pyre and a new phoenix would rise from the ashes. In 1867, a new town was being built on the land that had once been a Native American settlement in the Sonoran Desert.

The new town was named Phoenix because it grew out of the ashes of an ancient civilisation. Since then, Phoenix in Arizona has kept on growing and is now one of the largest cities in America.