Category Archives: name that country quiz

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 91

Posted on by
Reply

According to Protestant Christian tradition, this tomb was the place of burial and resurrection of Jesus. It’s known as the Garden Tomb and was designated as the holy place in the late 19th century based, in part, on the skull-like features in the face of a rocky cliff nearby. All four Gospels in the New Testament name the place of Jesus’ crucifixion as Golgotha (from the Aramaic for Place of the Skull). (Some translations use Calvary, from the Latin for skull). The Garden Tomb is an alternative to the area identified by Helen, the mother of Constantine, in the 4th century and enclosed in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading →

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 90

Posted on by
4

Here’s an absurdly easy one for the first week of spring ~
Imagine a place where the world’s most famous and mysterious monuments anchor the horizon. Imagine catching your first glimpses of these legendary shrines in the fleeting spaces between buildings as you make your way through the world’s craziest traffic.This mystery country, which has been attracting tourists for millennia, is just beginning to pull out of a 5-year tourism slump. The recovery of this vital industry will certainly be a factor in the long-term economic and political stability of the country.

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading →

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 89

Posted on by
Reply

Ancient Aegae or Aigai (modern Vergina), in the north of our mystery country, was the 1st capital of the kingdom of Macedon, which produced Philip II and his son Alexander the Great. Even after the capital was moved to Pella, Aegae remained an important religious and ceremonial center and a sophisticated, cultured city, which attracted great thinkers and artists.

The 4th-century BCE royal palace at Aegae rivals the Parthenon in terms of architectural innovation and influence. In 1977, the discovery of the royal necropolis, including the tomb and remains of Philip II, was one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century. Excavation and restoration is ongoing on the large site. Funeral objects and several tombs are on display in the excellent Museum of the Royal Tombs, which is cut right into the tumulus (burial mound). The fresco of the abduction of Persephone pictured above is from one of the royal tombs.

Can you name that country?
See below for answers.

Continue reading →

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 88

Posted on by
Reply

The Cemberlitas Hamam is one of many historical bath houses in our mystery country, as well as thoroughly modern ones, usually in luxury hotels. Cemberlitas dates from 1584 and was designed by the great Ottoman architect, Sinan. 

Towel-clad bathers are separated by gender and can do their own douse-lather-scrub-douse treatment or pay a bit extra to have an attendant do it for them. Traditionally, the hamam has been as much a place to socialize as to get clean; and lounging about on the central platform is part of the experience.

Can you name that country? What about the city?
See below for answers.

Continue reading →

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 87

Posted on by
2

In a country chock-full of jaw-dropping scenery, Khor Ash Sham in the Musandam Peninsula is high on the list of extraordinary natural sites. Musandam is something of an outpost, separated from the country’s mainland by a sizable chunk of northern UAE. It thrusts into the Strait of Hormuz at the eastern most point of the Arabian Peninsula. With its deeply cut, mountainous coastline plunging into the sea, the area is often compared to Norway. Day-cruising in the “fjords,” usually with an escort of playful dolphins, is a top tourist attraction in Musandam, along with exploring the rugged interior by 4-wheel drive.

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading →

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 86

Posted on by
Reply

This manmade island complex in the Arabian Gulf, Palm Jumeirah, is one of many extraordinary feats of engineering in a city known for pushing boundaries. Palm Jumeirah is home to luxury residences and hotels and the luxury establishments that serve them. The iconic Atlantis Hotel sits at top, center on the crescent.

Can you name that country? What about the city?
See below for answers.

Continue reading →

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 85

Posted on by
Reply

El Floridita has been serving drinks (especially rum cocktails) and seafood for almost 200 years in the capital city of our mystery country. It’s well known as the birthplace of the daiquiri and as a favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway, who lived just a few blocks away at the Hotel Ambos Mundos for seven years. Hemingway was just one of a long list of artists, intellectuals and dignitaries who spent time at El Floridita in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, when the city was a hopping playground for the international jet set.

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading →

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 84

Posted on by
Reply

Aqaba, on the Gulf of Aqaba at the very top of the Red Sea, is a beach resort and the only sea port in our mystery country. This is the meeting point of two continents – Africa and Asia. At night the lights of Israel’s Red Sea resort, Eilat, twinkle 4 miles to the west and Egypt’s Taba resort is less than 7 miles away. For international tourists, Aqaba tends to be overshadowed by Petra and Wadi Rum, both within a couple of hours drive away, but divers and snorkelers enjoy the clear waters and thriving coral reefs of the Aqaba Marine Park.

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading →

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 83

Posted on by
Reply

Volubilis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in a fertile plain at the foot of the Jbel Zerhoun (jbel = mountain), in the northwest of our mystery country.

From about 300BCE, Volubilis was the capital of the indigenous Berber kingdom of Mauritania. In 44CE, the area became the Roman province of Mauritania, with Volubilis as its capital. As a Roman provincial town, Volubilis was about as far out in the sticks as you could go. Despite this remoteness, it developed into a fine little city. Evidence of large-scale cultivation and processing of grains and olives suggests the area was something of a bread-basket for Rome.

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading →

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 82

Posted on by
Reply

In the early 1960s the artist Marc Chagall did a series of 12 stained glass windows for the synagogue at Hadassah Medical Center. The 12 sons of Jacob were each represented by a gem stone and other symbols according to the blessings of Jacob and Moses. Chagall’s windows are brilliant expressions of these foundations of our mystery country.

Can you name that country? 
See below for answers.

Continue reading →