At an Acute Angle Trivia Quiz

Answer: Italy

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, as it is commonly known, was built as a bell tower for the city's cathedral. Ironically, while it took almost 200 years to be completed, it began to tilt during the construction phase itself. A weak foundation set in soft ground meant that the tower began to lean as soon as the construction progressed to the second storey level.

Answer: Prague

The Dancing House was designed by the Czech architect, Vlado Milunić, in collaboration with the famous Canadian-American architect, Frank Gehry. Gehry had originally named the building Fred and Ginger, in reference to the well known American dancers, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. With its unique design, the building stands out among the Baroque, Gothic and Art Noveau architecture of Prague.

It is also featured on the gold 2,000 Czech koruna coin issued by the Czech National Bank.

Answer: No

The construction of the Qutub Minar was started by Qutab-Ud-Din-Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate in the late 12th century. It was completed by his successor, Shamsuddin Iltutmish in 1220. The tower is similar in style to a minaret and is built of red sandstone. The minar tilts slightly, though architects fear that excess seepage underneath could increase the angle.

Answer: Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, though in terms of popularity and population it ranks behind Dubai. Capital Gate is also known as the Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi. It is over 160 meters tall and is mainly used as an office building. It inclines 18 degrees to the west.

Answer: Destroyed by a terrorist group

The Great Mosque of al-Nuri was built in the 12th century. Its leaning minaret led to the city of Mosul being nicknamed "the hunchback". The militant group, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), sometimes known as ISIS, tried to first destroy the mosque in 2014 but when the locals formed a human shield to protect it, ISIL decided to use this mosque to proclaim the formation of a new caliphate.

In 2017, the mosque was destroyed during fighting. While the ISIL claimed that it had been destroyed by American bombing, the Iraqi government stated that the ISIL had destroyed it themselves, rather than have it be taken from their hands.

Answer: Lighthouse

Kiipsaare is located within the Vilsandi National Park, at the tip of Harilaid Peninsula. It was built relatively recently in 1933 to serve as a lighthouse. With time, the land separating the lighthouse from the sea was significantly eroded, causing the structure to lose support and start to tilt.

By the early 1990s, the sea water reached the lighthouse and it is now completely surrounded by water and no longer serves its original purpose.

Answer: Canada

The Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada was built for the 1976 Olympic Games. The cost of building this stadium significantly exceeded initial estimates, placing extreme financial burden on the state. Quebec introduced a special tobacco tax in 1976 to help meet the cost of construction. It took another 30 years before the cost was fully paid off.

The stadium includes the Montreal Tower, which was the world's tallest leaning tower at the time of completion.

Answer: Caerphilly Castle

Caerphilly Castle is found in the city of the same name in Wales. Built in the 13th century, it is the second largest castle in Britain. The castle is defended by a series of concentric fortifications, the first castle built in such a style. The south east tower of the castle leans slightly outward.

It is surmised that the lean is due to water from the surrounding moat causing the land to subside.

Answer: No

As is well known, the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his much loved wife, Mumtaz. The Taj Mahal complex displays the Emperor's penchant for symmetry, from the tomb of Mumtaz to the gardens surrounding the tomb. The four minarets surrounding the tomb have intentionally been built in such a manner that they tilt slightly outwards.

This was to protect the tomb so that in the event of an earthquake, the minarets would not fall on the tomb and cause any damage.

Answer: Krakow

The Town Hall of the city of Krakow is located within the Main Market Square of the Old Town. Krakow was the capital of Poland until 1596. The Town Hall Tower is the only remaining part of the old Town Hall which was demolished in the 19th century. The Town Hall at one time housed a prison and torture chamber within its cellars.

The Town Hall and its tower were built in the 13th century in the Gothic architectural style. A storm in 1703 caused the tower to lean slightly by around 55 centimeters.