Category Archives: name that country quiz

NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 61

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St. Virgin Mary’s Coptic Church is the best-known ancient church in the old city of our mystery country’s capital. The church is commonly known as The Hanging Church (El Muallaqa in Arabic) because it is built over a gate in the Roman fortress that surrounds the old city, with the nave of the church hanging over the passageway.

Coptic Christians settled within the fort very early in the Christian era and it remains a Coptic enclave still.

The mosaic depicts Mary, Joseph and Jesus, fleeing into our mystery country to escape the Slaughter of the Innocents. According to the Bible, after learning of the birth of a new king, Herod the Great ordered the death of all male infants in Bethlehem. (Matthew 2:13-23)

 

 

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NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 60

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Located in the central part of our mystery country, Lake Plastiras is an artificial lake formed by the damning of the Tavropos River in 1960. The lake, also known as Tavropos Reservoir, attracts visitors looking for a break from congested cities and crowded tourist sites. Charming villages surround the lake, each with its own particular vantage on beautiful, serene nature. Outdoor recreating is a big draw, with canoeing, kayaking, hiking, mountain-biking and horseback riding just a few of the activities available at the lake. The spectacular monasteries of Meteora make an easy day-trip from Plastiras and the capital city is about a 4-hour drive to the south. 

 

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NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 59

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Pamukkale is located in southwestern Anatolia, a 4 to 5-hour drive inland from coastal attractions such as Ephesus, Bodrum, Marmaris and Antalya. The closest major attraction is Aphrodisias, roughly halfway between the coast and Pamukkale (less than 2 hours driving). Pamukkale is known as the “Cotton Castle” because of its dramatic travertine terraces formed by hot-spring deposits of calcium carbonate. The Romans built the thriving spa town of Hieropolis here and besides the natural wonders there are some nice ruins to explore.

 

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NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 58

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Pictured above is Essaouira, a walled, seaside city on the Atlantic coast of our mystery country. Crystalline light and wide vistas have been attracting visual artists for decades, maybe centuries. Musicians and writers are drawn here too, including Beat poets and 60s rockers. The annual Gnaoua Festival celebrates the sacred music of the, Gnaoua (Gnawa) people, the descendants of slaves brought to Morocco from Sub-Saharan West Africa. Surfers love the near-constant wind, sunbathers, not so much. Besides the wind and music festival, visit for the scenery, the low-key medina and fresh fish.

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NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 57

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The Western Al Hajar mountains provide a dramatic, high-contrast backdrop for the crisp whitewash and muted pastels of our mystery country’s capital city. In the picture, 16th-century Portuguese watchtowers look down respectfully on the modern royal palace, ceremonial residence of the country’s beloved, progressive ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said. Since coming to power in 1970, Sultan Qaboos has been committed to the welfare of his people. Thanks to his investments in education, health care, infrastructure and economic development the country enjoys political stability and a high standard of living and is known as a beacon of moderation in the wider region.

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NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 56

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This mystery country is made up of seven largely autonomous city-states. In the most populous and best-known of the seven, the Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding welcomes visitors with the traditional tea and dates, as well as full meals, lectures, demonstrations and classes. With an expatriate population of about 85% and a steady flow of business and leisure travelers, cultural understanding is a national priority.

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NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 55

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This rock formation overlooking the Dead Sea is known as Lot’s Wife. Thanks to the shrewd negotiations of Abraham, Lot and his family were spared from the fiery destruction of Sodom but were warned not to look back as they fled. Lot’s Wife, who is never named in the biblical text, did look back and was instantly turned into a pillar of salt. Read more about Sodom and Gomorrah here.

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NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 54

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For thousands of years, Hathor was one of the most beloved goddesses of our mystery country. Her attributes and powers broadened over the centuries as she mingled with and absorbed a number of other deities. She was “the mother of mothers,” patron of women, fertility, childbirth and children. As the “mistress of life,” she represented joy, love, beauty, art, music and dance. She was a sky goddess, who gave birth to the sun god Ra each morning and conceived the coming day with him each night. In the underworld, she welcomed the souls of the newly dead with motherly reassurance as they made their way to eternal judgement. She was often represented as a cow or as a woman with cow ears, as above in the Chapel of Hathor at the Temple of Hatshepsut near Luxor.

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NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 53

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The 14th-century Bou Inania medersa (or madrasa) and mosque in the heart of the Fez medina is, historically, one of the most important Koranic schools in our mystery country and one of the few religious places open to non-Muslim visitors.The cool, quiet courtyard and interiors feel worlds away from the mad crush of the surrounding city.
The image above can only hint at the incredible aesthetics of Bou Inania, with its intricately carved cedar and plaster and colorful tiles.

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NAME THAT COUNTRY Episode 52

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Regla de Ocha, commonly known as Santeria, is a religion of the West African Yoruba people, who were brought to our mystery country as slaves.They continued to practice their native religion in secret, while also practicing the official religion of the country, Roman Catholicism. To the Yoruba, the two religions were essentially the same, with only superficial differences. Orichas, the deities of Santeria, are often interchangeable with Catholic saints. The center of Regla de Ocha in our mystery country is the town of Regla, just across the harbor from the capital city. There you can visit a Santeria museum and church and maybe witness a religious ceremony. A sculpture garden of Orichas in Regla is pictured above.

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