Famous Landmarks Quiz
From Machu Picchu to the Burj Khalifa: 15 questions on the world's most famous monuments.
In which country is Machu Picchu located?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Peru
Machu Picchu sits at about 2,430 metres in Peru's Andes, built by the Inca in the 15th century and abandoned around the time of the Spanish conquest.
Peru limits daily visitor numbers to the site and sells timed entry tickets to protect the stonework from wear.
What year was the Eiffel Tower completed?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
1889
The tower was finished in March 1889 as the entrance arch for that year's Exposition Universelle, which marked the centenary of the French Revolution.
At 300 metres it was the tallest structure on Earth until New York's Chrysler Building overtook it in 1930.
The Colosseum is located in which city?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Rome
The Colosseum was completed in AD 80 under Emperor Titus in the heart of Rome, hosting gladiator contests and public spectacles for centuries.
Its official name is the Flavian Amphitheatre, after the dynasty of emperors who built it.
Which landmark is known as the "Crown of Palaces"?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal translates from Persian as 'Crown of Palaces'. Emperor Shah Jahan built it in Agra as a tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631.
The white marble appears to change colour through the day, looking pink at dawn, white at noon and golden under moonlight.
On which island would you find the Moai statues?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Easter Island
The Rapa Nui people carved nearly 900 moai on Easter Island, a Chilean territory in the Pacific, mostly between the 13th and 16th centuries.
The statues have bodies too: excavations have shown that many of the famous 'heads' are buried up to their shoulders in soil.
The Ming dynasty sections of the Great Wall of China were primarily built to defend against which group?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Mongol invaders
The Ming rebuilt and extended the wall from the late 14th century onward, after overthrowing the Mongol Yuan dynasty, to keep the Mongols from returning.
Despite the legend, the wall cannot be seen from the Moon with the naked eye, and astronauts struggle to spot it even from low orbit.
Which U.S. landmark features the faces of four presidents?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Mount Rushmore
Sculptor Gutzon Borglum carved Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln into the granite of South Dakota's Black Hills between 1927 and 1941.
Each head is about 60 feet tall, and the original plan showed the presidents down to their waists before funding ran out.
Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. Where is it?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Cambodia
Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century by King Suryavarman II near Siem Reap in Cambodia, first as a Hindu temple and later a Buddhist one.
The temple appears on the Cambodian national flag, one of only a handful of flags in the world to depict a building.
Which building has been the tallest in the world since it opened in 2010?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Burj Khalifa
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai stands 828 metres tall with more than 160 floors, and no completed building has come close since it opened in January 2010.
Saudi Arabia's Jeddah Tower, designed to pass 1,000 metres, is under construction and expected to take the title around 2028.
The ancient city of Petra is carved into rock in which country?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Jordan
Petra was carved into rose-coloured sandstone cliffs in southern Jordan by the Nabataeans, who made it their trading capital more than 2,000 years ago.
Its most famous facade, the Treasury, played the temple hiding the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Which bridge is painted "International Orange"?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco has worn International Orange since it opened in 1937, a colour chosen for visibility in fog and to suit the setting.
Its 4,200-foot main span was the longest suspension span in the world until the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge opened in 1964.
How many of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still exist?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
One (Great Pyramid of Giza)
Only the Great Pyramid of Giza survives. The others, including the Hanging Gardens, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria, were lost to earthquakes, fire or time.
The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for nearly 3,800 years, until Lincoln Cathedral's spire was finished around 1311.
Christ the Redeemer overlooks which city?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Rio de Janeiro
The 30-metre Art Deco statue stands on Corcovado mountain above Rio de Janeiro, finished in 1931 and clad in thousands of soapstone tiles.
The statue is struck by lightning several times a year, and a 2014 strike broke off part of the right thumb.
Stonehenge is located in which country?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
England
Stonehenge stands on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, southern England, with its largest sarsen stones raised around 2500 BC.
The smaller bluestones were hauled some 140 miles from the Preseli Hills in Wales, a journey archaeologists still debate.
The Sydney Opera House was designed by which architect?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Jørn Utzon
Danish architect Jørn Utzon won a 1957 design competition with his shell-roofed concept, though he resigned in 1966 before the building opened in 1973.
The roof's sails are covered in more than a million glazed ceramic tiles made in Sweden.
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All Geography quizzes →About the Famous Landmarks Quiz
The Great Wall of China runs for more than 13,000 miles when all of its branches are counted, the Colosseum once seated around 50,000 spectators, and the Taj Mahal took some 20,000 workers roughly two decades to finish. Machu Picchu sat almost forgotten in the Andes until Hiram Bingham was led to it in 1911, and the Eiffel Tower was meant to stand for only 20 years.
These 15 questions cover landmarks on every inhabited continent, from ancient wonders to modern skyscrapers, asking where they are, when they were built and who built them. The difficulty is gentle to moderate, so it suits families, classrooms and anyone planning a trip. A few questions reward travellers who read the plaques, but most can be answered with good general knowledge.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Easy. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
What are the New Seven Wonders of the World?
Chosen by a global vote in 2007, they are the Great Wall of China, Petra, Christ the Redeemer, Machu Picchu, Chichén Itzá, the Colosseum and the Taj Mahal. The Great Pyramid of Giza was given honorary status.
How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are there?
More than 1,200 sites in over 160 countries are on the list. Italy and China have the most, with around 60 each.
Is the quiz suitable for kids?
Yes. Most questions ask where a landmark is or what it is called, so older children and school classes can enjoy it, and every answer includes a short explanation.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- In which country is Machu Picchu located?
Peru Machu Picchu sits at about 2,430 metres in Peru's Andes, built by the Inca in the 15th century and abandoned around the time of the Spanish conquest. Peru limits daily visitor numbers to the site and sells timed entry tickets to protect the stonework from wear. - What year was the Eiffel Tower completed?
1889 The tower was finished in March 1889 as the entrance arch for that year's Exposition Universelle, which marked the centenary of the French Revolution. At 300 metres it was the tallest structure on Earth until New York's Chrysler Building overtook it in 1930. - The Colosseum is located in which city?
Rome The Colosseum was completed in AD 80 under Emperor Titus in the heart of Rome, hosting gladiator contests and public spectacles for centuries. Its official name is the Flavian Amphitheatre, after the dynasty of emperors who built it. - Which landmark is known as the "Crown of Palaces"?
Taj Mahal Taj Mahal translates from Persian as 'Crown of Palaces'. Emperor Shah Jahan built it in Agra as a tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. The white marble appears to change colour through the day, looking pink at dawn, white at noon and golden under moonlight. - On which island would you find the Moai statues?
Easter Island The Rapa Nui people carved nearly 900 moai on Easter Island, a Chilean territory in the Pacific, mostly between the 13th and 16th centuries. The statues have bodies too: excavations have shown that many of the famous 'heads' are buried up to their shoulders in soil. - The Ming dynasty sections of the Great Wall of China were primarily built to defend against which group?
Mongol invaders The Ming rebuilt and extended the wall from the late 14th century onward, after overthrowing the Mongol Yuan dynasty, to keep the Mongols from returning. Despite the legend, the wall cannot be seen from the Moon with the naked eye, and astronauts struggle to spot it even from low orbit. - Which U.S. landmark features the faces of four presidents?
Mount Rushmore Sculptor Gutzon Borglum carved Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Lincoln into the granite of South Dakota's Black Hills between 1927 and 1941. Each head is about 60 feet tall, and the original plan showed the presidents down to their waists before funding ran out. - Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. Where is it?
Cambodia Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century by King Suryavarman II near Siem Reap in Cambodia, first as a Hindu temple and later a Buddhist one. The temple appears on the Cambodian national flag, one of only a handful of flags in the world to depict a building. - Which building has been the tallest in the world since it opened in 2010?
Burj Khalifa The Burj Khalifa in Dubai stands 828 metres tall with more than 160 floors, and no completed building has come close since it opened in January 2010. Saudi Arabia's Jeddah Tower, designed to pass 1,000 metres, is under construction and expected to take the title around 2028. - The ancient city of Petra is carved into rock in which country?
Jordan Petra was carved into rose-coloured sandstone cliffs in southern Jordan by the Nabataeans, who made it their trading capital more than 2,000 years ago. Its most famous facade, the Treasury, played the temple hiding the Holy Grail in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. - Which bridge is painted "International Orange"?
Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco has worn International Orange since it opened in 1937, a colour chosen for visibility in fog and to suit the setting. Its 4,200-foot main span was the longest suspension span in the world until the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge opened in 1964. - How many of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still exist?
One (Great Pyramid of Giza) Only the Great Pyramid of Giza survives. The others, including the Hanging Gardens, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria, were lost to earthquakes, fire or time. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for nearly 3,800 years, until Lincoln Cathedral's spire was finished around 1311. - Christ the Redeemer overlooks which city?
Rio de Janeiro The 30-metre Art Deco statue stands on Corcovado mountain above Rio de Janeiro, finished in 1931 and clad in thousands of soapstone tiles. The statue is struck by lightning several times a year, and a 2014 strike broke off part of the right thumb. - Stonehenge is located in which country?
England Stonehenge stands on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, southern England, with its largest sarsen stones raised around 2500 BC. The smaller bluestones were hauled some 140 miles from the Preseli Hills in Wales, a journey archaeologists still debate. - The Sydney Opera House was designed by which architect?
Jørn Utzon Danish architect Jørn Utzon won a 1957 design competition with his shell-roofed concept, though he resigned in 1966 before the building opened in 1973. The roof's sails are covered in more than a million glazed ceramic tiles made in Sweden.
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