Geography
What is the capital of Egypt?
Cairo
Which ancient civilization built the pyramids of Giza?
Ancient Egyptians
What is the main ingredient in hummus?
Chickpeas
What language is primarily spoken in Egypt?
Arabic
How many colors are on the flag of the United Arab Emirates?
Four
Which MENA country is famous for its ancient city of Petra?
Jordan
What famous trade route connected North Africa with West Africa across the desert?
trans-Saharan trade routes
Which country is especially famous for couscous as a traditional dish?
Morocco
What is the difference between the word "water" in Levantine Arabic vs. Gulf Arabic?
ma-ee: Gulf Arabic
miyye: Levantine Arabic
Which country has the ancient archaeological site of Baalbek, famous for its enormous Roman temples?
Lebanon.
What is the largest country in Africa by land area?
Algeria
Which ancient civilization developed in Mesopotamia?
Sumerians
What is the name of Yemen's famous bubbling stew?
saltah
What is the name of the North African language family spoken by communities such as the Amazigh?
Amazigh (Berber) languages.
What is the name of the strait separating Morocco from Spain?
The Strait of Gibraltar.
Which two continents does Egypt connect?
Africa and Asia
What was the name of the famous medieval learning center in Baghdad?
the House of Wisdom
What is the most spoken language in Algeria?
Derija
What does the Arabic phrase “Min zaman” generally mean?
“It's been a long time” or “a long time ago,” depending on context.
Which MENA country is home to the ancient city of Carthage?
Tunisia.
What is the only country that borders both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea in North Africa?
Which North African kingdom was ruled by Mansa Musa's predecessor and became famous for its wealth and trans-Saharan trade?
the Mali Empire. (Trick question: Mansa Musa ruled Mali, which was in West Africa, not North Africa.)
What is the name of the traditional Palestinian embroidered clothing style known for its distinctive patterns?
thobe -- w/ tatreez
Which ancient civilization developed an influential alphabet that helped shape later alphabetic writing systems, including Greek?
The Phoenicians, whose homeland was largely in present-day Lebanon and surrounding coastal areas.
Which present-day MENA country was historically known as the Kingdom of Sheba, associated with the legendary Queen of Sheba?
Yemen