Burj Khalifa Quiz: Facts About the World's Tallest Building

This Burj Khalifa quiz climbs the world's tallest building in Dubai, with questions on its height and floors, its original name Burj Dubai, Sheikh Khalifa, the spider lily design by SOM, Tom Cruise's famous stunt, the Dubai Fountain and the At the Top SKY deck. Ten questions.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Height
How tall is the Burj Khalifa?
History
In which year did the Burj Khalifa officially open?
Names
What was the Burj Khalifa called before it opened?
Names
Who is the Burj Khalifa named after?
Design
Which desert flower inspired the Burj Khalifa's Y-shaped floor plan?
Design
Which architecture firm designed the Burj Khalifa?
Floors
About how many floors does the Burj Khalifa have?
Film
In which film did Tom Cruise climb the outside of the Burj Khalifa?
Attractions
What is the name of the musical water show at the foot of the Burj Khalifa?
Attractions
What is the observation deck on the 148th floor called?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: How tall is the Burj Khalifa?
Answer: 828 meters
The Burj Khalifa rises to 828 meters, or 2,717 feet. It is more than twice as tall as the Empire State Building.
Q2: In which year did the Burj Khalifa officially open?
Answer: 2010
The tower opened on January 4, 2010, after about six years of construction. Fireworks lit up the building from top to bottom at the ceremony.
Q3: What was the Burj Khalifa called before it opened?
Answer: Burj Dubai
The tower was called Burj Dubai during construction. It was renamed at the opening to honor the president of the United Arab Emirates.
Q4: Who is the Burj Khalifa named after?
Answer: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan was president of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi helped Dubai with funding during the 2009 financial crisis.
Q5: Which desert flower inspired the Burj Khalifa's Y-shaped floor plan?
Answer: Spider lily
The design was inspired by the Hymenocallis, or spider lily. Its three wings help the tower resist strong winds and give apartments wide views.
Q6: Which architecture firm designed the Burj Khalifa?
Answer: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Architect Adrian Smith designed the tower while at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the Chicago firm also behind Willis Tower and One World Trade Center.
Q7: About how many floors does the Burj Khalifa have?
Answer: 163
The Burj Khalifa has 163 usable floors, plus several maintenance levels in its spire. Its elevators travel at about 10 meters per second.
Q8: In which film did Tom Cruise climb the outside of the Burj Khalifa?
Answer: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Tom Cruise performed the climb himself, attached to safety cables, for the 2011 film. The scene was shot on the 123rd floor and above.
Q9: What is the name of the musical water show at the foot of the Burj Khalifa?
Answer: The Dubai Fountain
The Dubai Fountain shoots water up to about 150 meters high in time to music. It was designed by the same company that built the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas.
Q10: What is the observation deck on the 148th floor called?
Answer: At the Top SKY
At the Top SKY sits about 555 meters above the ground. Lower down, the main At the Top deck is on levels 124 and 125.

Burj Khalifa Quiz – Life at the Top of the World

The Burj Khalifa has been the tallest building in the world since it opened in Dubai in 2010. At 828 meters, it towers over the city's skyline and can be seen from many kilometers away across the desert and the sea. It has become a symbol of Dubai's rapid growth from a small trading port into a global city.

Building it was an enormous engineering challenge. Its foundations go about 50 meters deep, its concrete had to be poured at night to stop it from setting too fast in the heat, and its three-winged shape, inspired by the spider lily flower, helps it handle the strong desert winds. Thousands of workers from around the world helped build it in about six years.

Inside, the tower contains a hotel, apartments, offices and observation decks. Visitors ride some of the fastest elevators in the world to At the Top, while the restaurant At.mosphere on level 122 has been one of the highest restaurants in the world.

The Burj Khalifa is also a stage for celebration and cinema. Its LED light shows mark holidays and big events, its New Year's Eve fireworks are watched around the world and Tom Cruise famously climbed its glass walls in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

This quiz looks at the facts, design and stories behind the world's tallest building.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is ideal for travelers heading to Dubai, architecture fans and record-breaker lovers.

How tall the Burj Khalifa is and how many floors it has
Why its name changed when it opened
Which flower inspired its design and who designed it
How Tom Cruise climbed it for a film
What the Dubai Fountain is
Which observation decks visitors can reach

Quick Facts About the Burj Khalifa

The tower holds records for the highest outdoor observation deck and the most floors in a building.
Cleaning all its windows takes a team of workers about three months.
The temperature at the top can be several degrees cooler than at the base.
Its spire alone is taller than many skyscrapers.
The building's exterior is covered with more than 24,000 glass panels.
Its New Year's Eve fireworks are among the most watched in the world.