Famous Landmarks Quiz: Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, Petra & More

This famous landmarks quiz takes you from the Eiffel Tower and the Colosseum to the Sydney Opera House, Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal and the rock-cut city of Petra. Ten questions about the world's best-known sights, 90 seconds, answers explained.

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

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Europe
Which Paris landmark was built for the 1889 World's Fair?
Europe
In which city does the Colosseum stand?
Oceania
Which Danish architect designed the Sydney Opera House?
South America
On which mountain does the Christ the Redeemer statue stand?
Asia
In which country is the temple complex of Angkor Wat?
Europe
In London, what does the name Big Ben strictly refer to?
South America
Which civilization built Machu Picchu in the Andes of Peru?
Asia
Which landmark in Agra was built as a tomb for Mumtaz Mahal?
Europe
Which architect spent more than 40 years working on the Sagrada Família in Barcelona?
Middle East
Which ancient people carved the Treasury at Petra into a sandstone cliff?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which Paris landmark was built for the 1889 World's Fair?
Answer: Eiffel Tower
Gustave Eiffel's company built the iron tower for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, marking 100 years since the French Revolution. Many Parisian artists called it an eyesore at first.
Q2: In which city does the Colosseum stand?
Answer: Rome
The Colosseum in Rome opened in AD 80 and could hold around 50,000 spectators for gladiator fights and public shows. It is still the largest amphitheater ever built.
Q3: Which Danish architect designed the Sydney Opera House?
Answer: Jørn Utzon
Jørn Utzon won a design competition in 1957, and the building opened in 1973. Its sail-like roof shells made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
Q4: On which mountain does the Christ the Redeemer statue stand?
Answer: Corcovado
Christ the Redeemer stands about 700 meters above Rio de Janeiro on top of Corcovado. The 30-meter statue was completed in 1931 and is made of reinforced concrete covered in soapstone tiles.
Q5: In which country is the temple complex of Angkor Wat?
Answer: Cambodia
Angkor Wat was built in the early 1100s by the Khmer king Suryavarman II and is the largest religious monument in the world. It appears on the national flag of Cambodia.
Q6: In London, what does the name Big Ben strictly refer to?
Answer: The great bell
Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell inside the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster. The tower itself was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to honor Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee.
Q7: Which civilization built Machu Picchu in the Andes of Peru?
Answer: Inca
The Inca built Machu Picchu in the mid-1400s, probably as an estate for the emperor Pachacuti. Spanish conquerors never found it, which is one reason it survived in such good condition.
Q8: Which landmark in Agra was built as a tomb for Mumtaz Mahal?
Answer: Taj Mahal
Emperor Shah Jahan ordered the Taj Mahal after his wife Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631. About 20,000 workers spent more than 20 years on the white marble tomb and its gardens.
Q9: Which architect spent more than 40 years working on the Sagrada Família in Barcelona?
Answer: Antoni Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí took over the Sagrada Família in 1883 and worked on it until his death in 1926. The basilica is still being built, and its central tower was completed in the 2020s.
Q10: Which ancient people carved the Treasury at Petra into a sandstone cliff?
Answer: Nabataeans
The Nabataeans carved Petra's Treasury, Al-Khazneh, in Jordan around the first century AD. Their city controlled important trade routes for incense and spices.

Famous Landmarks Quiz – Sights That Define Their Cities

Some buildings are so famous that a single outline is enough to name a city. The Eiffel Tower means Paris, the Opera House means Sydney and the Colosseum means Rome. These landmarks appear on postcards, film posters and souvenir magnets around the world, and millions of travelers plan whole trips around seeing them in person.

Many of them were controversial when they were new. Parisian artists signed a protest against the Eiffel Tower, and the Sydney Opera House ran ten years late and far over budget, which led Jørn Utzon to resign before it opened. Today both are national treasures. Other landmarks, like Machu Picchu and Petra, were built by civilizations that disappeared, leaving the stones to tell their story.

This quiz mixes easy openers with a few details that even seasoned travelers might miss, such as what the name Big Ben really refers to and which mountain Christ the Redeemer stands on. Each answer comes with a short explanation of who built the landmark, when and why.

Landmarks also show how engineering has changed. The Romans used concrete and arches to build an arena for 50,000 people; the Inca fitted stones so tightly that a knife blade cannot slip between them; and nineteenth-century engineers used wrought iron to build a tower more than 300 meters tall.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz suits travelers, geography students and trivia fans who want to know the stories behind the world's most photographed places.

Why the Eiffel Tower was built and how Paris first reacted
Who designed the Sydney Opera House
What Big Ben really is
Which civilizations built Machu Picchu and Petra
Why the Taj Mahal was built
How long work on the Sagrada Família has taken

Quick Facts About Famous Landmarks

The Eiffel Tower grows by up to 15 centimeters in summer as its iron expands in the heat.
The Great Wall of China cannot be seen from space with the naked eye, despite the popular myth.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa began to tilt during construction in the 1170s because of soft ground.
Mount Rushmore's four faces are each about 18 meters tall.
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, at 828 meters, has been the world's tallest building since 2010.
Stonehenge's largest stones weigh around 25 tonnes.