Q 01/05

In the first Star Wars film, Tikal's temples rising above the jungle stood in for which rebel moon?

A) Endor

B) Yavin 4

C) Hoth

D) Dagobah

Answer · why

B) Yavin 4

Yavin 4 is the jungle moon where the Rebel Alliance hides its base. Its outdoor scenes were shot among the Guatemalan ruins, using the real Maya pyram...

Q 02/05

George Lucas chose Tikal for Star Wars after spotting the ruins on what in an English travel agency?

A) A postcard

B) A calendar

C) A poster

D) A brochure

Answer · why

C) A poster

A poster of the Guatemalan ruins caught the director's eye, and he decided to turn the real Maya city into a jungle moon for his space saga.

Q 03/05

Which James Bond film used Tikal's ruins as the exterior of villain Hugo Drax's pyramid headquarters?

A) Octopussy

B) Thunderball

C) Goldfinger

D) Moonraker

Answer · why

D) Moonraker

Moonraker places the lair deep in the Amazon rainforest, but the pyramid's exterior was really filmed among the Maya ruins of Guatemala.

Q 04/05

More than 7,000 tourists crowded Tikal on 21 December 2012, damaging Temple II, to mark what supposed event?

A) The end of the world

B) A total solar eclipse

C) A planetary alignment

D) The return of Kukulkan

Answer · why

A) The end of the world

The end of the world was the rumour tied to the 2012 phenomenon. Many of the visitors climbed the pyramid's stairs that day, causing reported damage.

Q 05/05

Which Spanish conquistador passed within a few kilometres of Tikal in 1525 yet never mentioned the ruins?

A) Francisco Pizarro

B) Pedro de Alvarado

C) Hernán Cortés

D) Hernando de Soto

Answer · why

C) Hernán Cortés

Hernán Cortés left the ruins out of his letters, and the first official expedition to the overgrown city did not arrive until 1848.