Every Day Becomes a Legacy Trivia Quiz

Answer: Uluru/Ayers Rock

Uluru is the traditional name for the rock and the land surrounding it, while Ayers Rock is a European name bestowed in 1873. Uluru does not have a specific meaning. The dimensions of Uluru are 348 m high, and with a perimeter of 9.4 km, and most of its bulk is underground. Climbing of the rock has been banned by the traditional owners, as it caused damage to the rock and was against their traditional beliefs.

It is hard to date how long the Anangu (a word meaning people) have lived near Uluru, but it is believed to be over 30,000 years. There are many sacred sites around the base of Uluru, some associated with 'women's business' others with 'men's business'. There are around 80 sites alone which contain rock carvings and paintings dating back generations, a significant legacy.

The Tjukurpa (culture, lore and laws) of the Anangu explain how the rock was shaped by various ancestral spirits and their actions. Local people who work in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park have shared some of these stories with visitors. Part of the lore includes song lines from within and outside the region.

Kata Tjuta (also known as the 'The Olgas') is located in the same national park, and the two sites can be viewed from each other, but are two separate formations.

Mount Wudinna and Kokerbin Rock are also Australian monoliths, and are the second and third largest monoliths.

Answer: Druids

There has been human activity at the site dating back to around 8000 BCE, with archaeologists finding evidence of at least four Mesolithic portholes at the site. The monument was added to over a period of around 1500 years, with some of the stones used to build Stonehenge coming from Wales, a distance of around 240 km, or 150 miles.

While the meaning of Stonehenge is still unclear, there are astronomical elements to its layout, lending evidence to it being a place of worship. Archaeological excavations have also found the remains of a number of burials, and forensic analysis has shown that these people travelled significantly to reach the location, including one teenage boy who was raised near the Mediterranean Sea. This also adds to the place of worship or pilgrimage theories.

While Druids have been associated with the location, the Celtic societies from which the Druids came only formed around 300 BCE, well after the site was established. Druids were responsible for the performance of certain religious rituals, and for keeping the law and lore of the Celtic peoples.

Regardless of who were the original owners and builders, Stonehenge remains a legacy of the perseverance and ingenuity of its architects and builders.

Answer: Anubis

The Ancient Egyptians had a rich mythology and were polytheistic in their beliefs. They had a strong interest in the afterlife, reflected in the practice of embalming and the building of pyramids and other tombs.

A number of funereal temples have been found near many of the pyramids, reflecting the importance placed on rituals associated with death. It was believed that elements of a person's spirit were released after death, but returned each night to be reborn.

The importance and role of Anubis changed over time. He was the protector of graves and cemeteries, and was the patron god of embalmers, and was portrayed in this role in the Book of the Dead. In later funerary art he was shown as guiding people to the afterlife, with Osiris shown as the ruler of the underworld. He was also responsible for weighing the heart of the deceased person, to check whether they were worthy of entering the underworld or Duat. If the heart weighed more than an ostrich feather the souls would be eaten.

Isis was a major goddess, and was the wife and sister of Osiris. In their shared myth, she is responsible for resurrecting him, and was believed to help the dead enter the afterlife. Horus was their son.

Answer: Israel

The park contains the remains of two towns, Bet Guvrin (renamed Eleutheropolis by the Romans) and Maresha. It contains historically significant remains including a large Jewish cemetery, a Roman-Byzantine amphitheater, a Byzantine church, public baths, mosaics and burial caves.

Maresha was mentioned in the Book of Joshua, and later in the Zenon Papyri (259 BCE) when it was settled by a Sidonian community. It was used as a base in the Maccabean Revolt, before being destroyed in 112 BCE and again in 40 BCE. It was not rebuilt, leaving Beth Gabra, or Bet Guvrin, nearby to become the main town of the region. Vespasian was the first person to conquer it in 68 CE, and it was destroyed in the Bar Kochba revolt (132-135 CE). In the year 200 it was renamed 'Eleutheropolis', or the city of freemen by Roman Emperor Septimus Severus. It became an important city, with the Bishop, Macrinus, attending the Council of Nicaea in 325.

Maresha is built on a 'tell' or artificial mound. As much of the bedrock is chalk, many caves are found under the tell and some of these were used as dwellings, one of which was known as Mŭghâret Sandahannah (The Cave of Saint Anne), known today Mavokh (Maze). Saint Anne's church was built in the Byzantine period and then rebuilt by the Crusaders in the 12th century.

Today, the National Park is a legacy of the different civilisations who lived here. Finds have included a Roman amphitheatre, a large Roman bath house, and from the Crusader period a fortress as well as an attached church. Other finds include burial caves of the Sidonians, with paintings of real and mythical creatures still able to be seen.

Answer: Shinto

The torii which serves as a gateway to the shrine appears to float on water during high tide. The three goddesses to which the shrine is dedicated are the daughters of Susano-o no Mikoto, who are the goddesses of seas and storms.

Itsukushima is also known as Miyajima, or 'Shrine Island', and was a pure Shinto shrine. No deaths or births, which would cause pollution, were allowed to occur on the island. For much of its history, commoners were not allowed o step on to the island. To help maintain the purity of the island, the shrine itself, and other buildings were built out over the water. To allow pilgrims to approach, the shrine was built like a pier over the water, as was the red entrance gate, or torii.

It is a popular tourist attraction and is the best known of the Shinto shrines.

Shinto and Buddhism are the two largest denominations in Japan, while the Ryukyuan religion is the belief system of the people of Okinawa and the other Ryukyu Islands while Ainu is the belief system of the Ainu people of Hokkaido.

Answer: Buddhist

Angkor Wat is more than three times the area of the Vatican City, and contains the largest Buddhist temples in the world. Built by Suryavarman II of the Khmer Empire, it served as the state temple for the empire. As it is built oriented to the west, it was likely intended to have also served as the King's funeral temple. At the time of dedication, it was a Hindu temple for Vishnu, and became a Buddhist temple at the end of the 12th century.

Covering 16.3 hectares, there are 1,200 square meters of carved bas reliefs at Angkor Wat, representing eight different Hindu stories. 5 million tonnes of sandstone were used during construction with the use of 300,000 laborers and 6,000 elephants, according to inscriptions.

It is so culturally important for Cambodia, the image of Angkor Wat is on their state flag.

Buddhism is the state religion of Cambodia, while Islam, Baha'i, Christianity and Animism are the minority religions.

Answer: Machu Pichu

Machu Picchu dates from the fifteenth century, with recent radio-carbon dating techniques estimating that it was inhabitated from around 1420-1532. As the Incan people did not have a written language, there are no written records, meaning that much of what is known about this complex comes from archaeological research and hypotheses.

It is believed that the citadel was constructed for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438-1472). After the Spanish conquest, it was abandoned. There were three main structures: the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows.

The Intihuatana stone is found in the Temple of the Sun and can be used to mark significant dates. At midday on 11 November and 30 January, the sun is situated above the pillar, casting no shadow. Among other elements of the Temple, there are two windows, the 'Solstice Window', and the 'Qullqa Window'. The 'Solstice Window' faces the rising sun on June 21, while the 'Qullqa Window' faces the Inca constellation Qullqa, or 'Storehouse'.

Also in the complex is a cave known as 'Inti Mach'ay' used to observe the Royal Feast of the Sun. The cave is inaccessible for much of the year, as it was constructed to only allow sunlight into the cave for several days in December, coinciding with the festival which ended on the December solstice.

The Realm of the Four Parts was one of the names given to the Incan civilisation, Cusco and Sacsayhuaman are both UNESCO listed cities of the former Incan Empire. All are a significant legacy of an empire which lasted 150 years.

Answer: Vatican City

The Vatican is the official home of the Pope, and the Sistine Chapel hosts the Papal Chapel, a name given to a group of senior ecclesiastics of the Catholic Church. The chapel was built by Pope Sixtus IV between 1473-1481. Decorated by a range of Renaissance painters which included Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli, the ceiling decorations were completed by Michaelangelo.

As well as being the chapel for the Papal Chapel, the other important function is as the home of the Conclave of the College of Cardinals. The Conclave meet when it is time to elect a new Pope. The first Conclave to meet in the Sistine Chapel elected Pope Alexander VI, on 11 Augus 1492 after deliberating for five days. A chimney is installed in the roof of the chapel, the colour of the smoke from the chimney tells the state of deliberations - black smoke shows that a majority vote has not been obtained while white smoke signals that a new Pope has been elected.

The Sistine Chapel is a popular tourist destination, best visited very early during opening hours to obtain the best viewing opportunities with the least amount of crowding.

The Holy See is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the Bishop of Rome and includes the diocese of Rome as well as the Vatican City.

Answer: Orthodox Catholic Church

The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat is known by several names including The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, Trinity Cathedral, Pokrovsky Cathedral and St. Basil's Cathedral. It was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible to celebrate victory over the Tatar khanates of Kazan and Astrakahn.

Originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, there are nine chapels inside. The nine domes all correspond to one of the internal chapels. Saint Basil, as Vasily in Russian, was known as the 'Holy Fool' died after the Cathedral was finished. He was canonised and his chapel was added in 1588.

While the Cathdedral is famous for its colourful facade, it was originally painted in white and gold. Its colours were added later, and are said to be based on descriptions from the Book of Revelations.

While people outside of Russia May refer to the Russian Orthodox Church, it identifies itself as the Orthodox Catholic Church. It is the second largest Christian Church in the world, splitting from what became known as the Roman Catholic Church in 1054. This split was due to a number of differences involving doctrinal, theological, linguistic, political, and geographical lines.

Answer: Hagia Sophia

Istanbul has the distinction of being the only capital city to straddle two continents (Europe and Asia.) it has a diverse history, having been the capital city during several empires, with strong connections to Roman, Byzantine, Jewish, Christian and Islamic empires and religions.

The Blue Mosque (officially known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque) and Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy Wisdom) are located near one another. The Hagia Sophia is a legacy of all the cultural and religious influences that have shaped Istanbul. It was built on the site of two older churches, with Justinian I commissioning this building in 532, construction finishing in 537. It was the largest cathedral in the Byzantine (Eastern Orthodox) religion for the next 900 years (briefly a Roman Catholic Cathedral between 1204-1261. It was converted to a mosque in 1453, and served as such until 1931, reopening as a museum in 1935.

The Hagia Sophia contains a legacy from the Temple of Artemis, formerly one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. These are eight green marble columns which are believed to have been moved here when the original church was built.

St. George's Cathedral is the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople whose leader is regarded as the primus inter pares (first among equals) in the Orthodox Catholic Church, and is the spiritual leader of this church. Topkapi Palace is now a museum and was the forever residence of the Ottoman sultans.