Sacred Mountains Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mount Ararat

Despite being the highest peak in Turkey and one of the highest volcanoes in Asia, Mount Ararat is very much part of Armenian identity, being visible from its capital city, Yerevan. Erupting in the mid-nineteenth century, Ararat has since been declared dormant. Ararat also appeared in the Book of Genesis where it was claimed that after one hundred and fifty days of flood, Noah's Ark came to a rest on the mountaintop while the waters receded.

In more modern times, the mountain saw its first ascent in 1829. Since then, many have tried their hand at ascent to search for the ark, but its peak, often covered with snow year-round, makes it nearly impossible to access or allow for archaeological digs.

Answer: Machu Picchu

Now a popular hiking destination and adventure tourist landmark, the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu are considered a New Wonder of the World. Well-preserved atop the Andes Mountains in Peru, this site can be found at the end of the Inca Trail, a route used by Incans as far back as the fifteenth century, which reaches more than four kilometers above sea level.

The ruins at the end of the trail were once home to the estate of the Incan emperor and the altar found there was said to be used for sacrifices of all types, likely to appease the God of the Sun, Inti.

These traditions have been maintained, somewhat, by the rituals of the Pachamama, which is a bit more new age than what the Incans were originally going for.

Answer: Uluru

Also known as Ayers Rock, Uluru is a colossal sandstone monolith in the middle of the Australian Outback, several hundred miles from Alice Springs, the closest city. A famous symbol of Australia, Uluru isn't the easiest of landmarks to visit, partly because of its remote location and partly because of the harsh weather of the Outback. According to Aboriginal myth, Tjukuritja and Waparitja wandered the land here during its creation because it was part of a path made in the Dreamtime, a time when powerful beings roamed the plains before man.

It's for this reason that some believers won't walk on the land around Uluru.

Answer: Mount Sinai

Found in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, Mount Sinai has great significance in Christian, Islamic, and Jewish texts because it played a major role in the Book of Exodus: Moses climbed the mountain and returned with two stone tablets bearing the Ten Commandments for the Israelites.

Although Sinai was believed to be the highest mountain in the area, the adjacent peak-- Mount Catherine-- is taller. It's also the home of the religious UNESCO World Heritage Site known as Saint Catherine's Monastery, one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world, constructed in the fifth century AD.

Answer: Mount Fuji

The Blossom Princess, the goddess Konohanasakuya-hime is symbolized by the sakura tree which blossoms at the start of spring in Japan. Mount Fuji in particular is the perfect site to witness this time. And while this goddess represents life, she also represents destructive power; she also happens to be the goddess of volcanoes in Japan, and Japan, being part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, is quite active in this regard.

It's believed that her powers prevent Fuji from erupting. Mount Fuji itself is on the island of Honshu and, along with Tate and Haku, is one of the three Holy Mountains of Japan, revered in myth and legend.

Answer: Mount Olympus

The tallest peak in Greece, Mount Olympus stretches nearly three kilometres up and was considered to be the location at which the twelve Greek Gods conducted their business; it later became the first National Park in the country. The mountain has fifty-two different peaks, but the highest was said to be the home of Zeus and the others.

His daughters and muses, however, lived in the nearby region of Pieria, now the location of the city of Katerini. Olympus was, of course, written about in Homer's "Odyssey" and "Iliad"; the myths and legends of the region stretch back much further.

Answer: Mauna Kea

Found on the island of Hawaii, Mauna Kea, if measured from the bottom of the ocean, would be the largest volcano (and mountain) in the world at ten kilometres in height. The volcano, now dormant, is the highest point in the state. Mauna Kea's peak, considered sacred, is rarely visited, and usually only by Samoan rulers.

This is because its oft-snowcapped summit is allegedly inhabited by Poli'ahu, Hawaii's most beautiful goddess and creator of the nearby Hāmākua Coast. The nearby volcanoes Kīlauea and Mauna Loa are said to be inhabited by the goddess Pele, who resides in Halema'uma'u crater.

Answer: Mount Carmel

The Shrine of the Báb in Haifa, Israel finished its construction in 1951 but it and its terraced gardens stand as an immense memorial to the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. One of the charters of the faith, the Lawḥ-i-Karmil, was actually named after the mountainous region.

Although one would assume Mount Carmel to be a single peak, its name actually refers to the region as a whole-- thirty-someodd kilometres of mountains stretching from the Mediterranean coast, and it's all protected as a National Park.

The prophet Elijah was also said to have lived there, as was documented in the Book of Kings in the Old Testament.

Answer: Mount Kailash

Mount Kailash is an interesting mountain because stories about its religious significance seem to transcend religious bounds. In addition to being the home of Shiva, the three-eyed, four-armed god of meditation, it's also adjacent to Mount Ashtapada, a significant peak in Jainist tales and beliefs. Kailash also makes appearances in Buddhist works, being a site of pilgrimage for those following the tantric beliefs of Cakrasaṃvara, a class of beliefs involving meditation and spiritual awakening.

The mountain, close to the Indus River, is part of the Himalayas and it's not really easy to get there. Most people trek for days from Lhasa or nearby Nepal.

Answer: Mount Kilimanjaro

A solitary peak in the African savannah, Kilimanjaro sits close to the northeast Tanzanian border with Kenya and near both Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. The people of the Chaga tribe, many of whom live on or near the mountain, worship a chief deity who lives atop the mountain who goes by the name Ruwa-- the God of Creation. Ruwa also happens to be the Chagga word for 'sun'. Climbers of Kilimanjaro have ascended the peak for years, reaching nearly six kilometres above sea level at the top.