If the Key Fits Trivia Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Perhaps this key belongs to the door of an important political figure - the British Prime Minister, for example. The home of the British PM is 10 Downing Street. Which of the following best describes the door to this house?

Answer: Shiny and black

It seems unlikely that this is the correct door, since 10 Downing Street famously lacks a keyhole on the outside. What is now called number 10 Downing Street was given by George II to Robert Walpole (often called the first Prime Minister of the UK) in 1732. Since then, many Prime Ministers of the country have lived in the house.

A notable recent exception is Tony Blair, who chose to live in the more spacious number 11 (which is usually reserved for the Chancellor of the Exchequer) due to his large and young family.

2. Perhaps the key can be used to open the 9 tonne megalith which functions as the door to Coral Castle. Where in the world would you find this unusual tourist attraction?

Answer: Florida, USA

Coral Castle is located just north of Homestead, Florida, and features a number of enormous stones. The construction of this attraction was deliberately secretive, and the peculiar architect, Edward Leedskalnin claimed that he used few tools. Some even claimed to have seen Leedskalnin moving the stones using supernatural abilities.

Another theory was that Leedskalnin used some sort of magnetism, which he also claimed cured him of tuberculosis.

3. The "heart" of the US Capitol building is the rotunda, which can be accessed through a huge pair of bronze doors which pay homage to the life of an historical figure. Which figure is this?

Answer: Christopher Columbus

The Columbus Doors were created by the American-born Randolph Rogers, who studied sculpture in Rome and who was commissioned to create the doors in 1855. He accepted, and the work was completed in 1861. The doors, which stand over 5 metres tall, depict several parts of the life of Columbus, focussing mainly on 1492, when Columbus set sail and was said to have "discovered" the Americas.

4. Perhaps the key opens this important historical door. The door of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg was said to have been where one man nailed his "Ninety-Five Theses" in 1517. Who was this man?

Answer: Martin Luther

The image of Martin Luther nailing his ninety-five theses to the door of All Saints' Church is held in many people's minds as the spark which created Protestantism. These theses criticised the Catholic church over many issues, the most commonly cited of which is the sale of "indulgences" which in this sense refers not to the lavish spending of church money by those in power, but the idea that one could pay for their sins to go unpunished.

The actions of Luther and various other figures of the time are said to have caused a "great schism" in Christianity.

5. A truly grand set of doors can be found at the Battistero di San Giovanni, and were described by Michelangelo as "the Gates of Paradise". In which city can these doors be found?

Answer: Florence

The Battistero di San Giovanni (the Baptistery of St. John) actually has three sets of doors, all of which are exquisite. The South Doors were created by Andrea Pisano in 1330, with Lorenzo Ghiberti creating the North and later the East Doors over several decades in the 15th century.

It was the East Doors which Michelangelo described as the "Gates of Paradise" and these were created after the success of Ghiberti in creating the North Doors. It is said that Ghiberti beat several prominent artists in a competition to create the North Doors.

He drew with Brunelleschi and it was declared that they should collaborate on the work. However, it is believed that Brunelleschi felt he was above the young Ghiberti (then only 21) and refused to collaborate.

6. Maybe the key opens the round green door of Bag End in Hobbiton. This door is not just a fictional creation of J.R.R. Tolkein, but it actually exists. In which country would you find this door?

Answer: New Zealand

The "Lord of the Rings" trilogy was filmed in New Zealand, the native country of the franchise's director, Peter Jackson. It is said that Jackson wanted the set to be as realistic as possible and so the Shire was built several months prior to filming so that plants could grow naturally. The building of Hobbiton was assisted by the New Zealand Army.

7. As an old-looking key, maybe it fits an old-looking door. The door of the beautiful Ta Prohm temple is surrounded by trees and so blurs the line between man-made structure and the surrounding jungle. In which country can this temple be found?

Answer: Cambodia

Ta Prohm's construction was completed in the early 13th century and has been left largely untouched to this day, being put on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1992. Though it has been maintained in its original design, necessary restoration work has been carried out to make the temple safe for visitors, and it has become one of the most popular sites of tourism in Cambodia.

This picturesque temple was also a setting used in the film "Tomb Raider".

8. A man in a rather grand-looking hat and who is known as the "Primate of All England" knocks on a door with his staff. You offer your mystery key to see if that will do the trick, but quickly realise that this is a traditional ceremony. To which building does this door belong?

Answer: Canterbury Cathedral

When a new Archbishop of Canterbury is appointed, there is an elaborate and traditional ceremony which begins with the soon-to-be archbishop knocking three times on the door of Canterbury Cathedral. Once inside, the enthronement takes place first on the diocesan throne, then on the Chair of St. Augustine.

9. Perhaps the key can be used at the Vehicle Assembly Building which in 2013 could claim the largest doors in the world. To which organisation does this building belong?

Answer: NASA

The doors at the Vehicle Assembly Building are not large for the sake of being large, but are required to allow the passage of enormous spacecraft which are assembled in the building, which is itself one of the world's most voluminous buildings. The building is located at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and its four doors can boast of being 456 feet high.

10. Perhaps this little key opens the Door to Hell. As you arrive at the Door to Hell, you see that it is not a door at all, but a large hole in the ground that contains a huge fire. Where on Earth are you?

Answer: Turkmenistan

This site is found in the Karakum desert in Turkmenistan and was formed when the ground supporting a drilling rig collapsed, forming a crater 70 metres wide. The site was a large reserve of natural gas, and aside from losing their rig, scientists working at the site also had to deal with the problem of poisonous gas escaping.

The solution was to set the gas alight and allow the supply quickly burn off, but it has burned ever since the incident in 1971.

Source: Author doublemm

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

You have been given a key, but what does it open? Travel the world and try your luck with some iconic doors.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>