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Question 1

What city has emerged as the first in the MENA region

to achieve metacity status?

Tehran

Jerusalem

Cairo

Istanbul

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Question 2

Which one of these statements about the historical

geography of Middle Eastern and North African cities
is incorrect?

Petrodollars gave the region’s cities a developmental

edge over those in other parts of the world.

Cities evolved around the well, the house of worship,

and the marketplace.

Urbanism as a way of life originated in the region.

The relative location of the region made its cities

centers of trade and commerce.
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Question 3

Ur and Uruk were:

city-states that served economic and defense

functions.

among the first true cities in world history.

located in the Fertile Crescent.

all of the above.

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Question 4

What is the general relationship between urbanization

and civilization?

Civilization preceded urbanization.

Urbanization preceded civilization.

None of the above.

They evolved hand in hand.

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Question 5

Which one of the following countries does not have an

urban tradition that dates back several millennia?

Turkey

Iraq
 Syria

United Arab Emirates

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Question 6

The “quarters” that developed within the old walled

cities of the Middle East:

mimicked the security and social cohesiveness of

the village.

continue to be walled and gated sub-units of the city.

were defined exclusively on religious lines.

developed because of differences in income, wealth,

and class.

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Question 7

Which of these features are least likely to be found in

the medina of a Middle Eastern or North African city?

wells

open courtyards

parking lots

narrow streets
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Question 8

What is the relationship between the kasbah and

the medina in a city like Rabat?

They are both names for the ancient walled city.

The kasbah is located inside the medina.

The medina is located inside the kasbah.

The kasbah is the old city and the medina is the new
city.

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Question 9

If you were running a transect of a Middle Eastern city

from the old city center to the urban expansion zone,
one of your conclusions might be that:

non-motorized vehicles still predominate in both old

city and new city.

the well-to-do are abandoning the old city.

multi-story apartment blocks are not yet that

common.

the old city displays logo-laden chain stores and

franchises.
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Question 10

Arab cities in the Gulf region are characterized by:

working populations from South Asia, Europe, and

the U.S.

a large amount of green space supported by

revenues from oil production.

modern buildings incorporating traditional

architectural themes.

all of the above.

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Question 11

Many Arab cities in the Gulf Region are becoming

transactional nodes for the world economy. All of these
are examples of activities in transactional
nodes except:

banking services, such as those found in Dubai or

Manama.

trade entrepôts, such as cities importing cars or

electronics, and then exporting them into Central
Asia.
 oil production, as can be found in nearby onshore
and offshore fields.

media production, such as Al Jazeera’s

headquarters in Qatar.

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Question 12

Damascus and Aleppo. Sana’a and Aden. Tripoli and

Benghazi. These city pairs illustrate:

some countries’ need for a summer capital.

classic examples of urban primacy.

the rank-size rule.

rival urban cores within a single country.

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Question 13

Istanbul, Tehran, and Cairo are:

capital cities.

the anchors of MENA’s urban triangle.

Arabic-speaking cities.

all of the above.

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Question 14

Which one of the following elements of the built

environment does not promote cooling and
temperature control in traditional Middle Eastern
cities?

Dark-colored, low-albedo building materials are

frequently used.

Streets are narrow and may be fully or partially

covered.

Fountains draw upon cool ground water to chill the

air in small spaces.

Vines and trees in courtyards retard heat absorption.

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Question 15

Which one of the following elements of the built

environment of traditional Middle Eastern cities is not a
design element that promotes privacy?

Locks on windows and doors are used day and

night.

Wooden latticework is used to screen windows.

Windows in homes are small and above eye level.

 Doors on opposite sides of the street are staggered.

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Question 16

Inside cities across the Middle East and North Africa,

one can find souks. Which of these statements best
defines a souk?

a large building where communal water supplies

were cooled and pumped into the city along a series
of pipes and canals

a traditional market where vending stalls are

functionally organized around specific goods and
services

a private neighborhood where parts of an extended

family have their own houses

a large open-air plaza in the center of the city, often

dedicated to historical figures

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Question 17

Cairo is the headquarters of the League of Arab

States. Cairo’s relative locational advantage for this
purpose is exemplified by the city’s:
 position between the western and eastern halves of
the Arab world.

position near the Mediterranean Sea, allowing

European leaders to appear as guests during
League meetings.

access to lots of undeveloped desert space, allowing

the construction of a major international airport and
League of Arab States facilities.

proximity to a major deep-water port, allowing easy

accessibility.

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Question 18

The Nile Delta is fertile farmland now under threat from

the expansion of Cairo. What is one way this issue has
been addressed?

Local activists have coordinated with the city

government to redirect development to the south.

The Egyptian government has built a wall along the

northern edge of Cairo, restricting movement
towards the delta.

The Egyptian government has built nearby satellite

cities in the desert east and west of Cairo.
 Local farmers have taken to torching and destroying
new developments, forcing developers to look
elsewhere.

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Question 19

“The presence of distinct historical landmarks and

older settlements separated by 20th century sprawl”:
This description suggests that Cairo conforms, at least
in part, to the:

sector city model.

concentric ring model.

multiple nuclei model.

inverse concentric zone model.

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Question 20

What city served as an imperial capital for an almost

record-setting 1600 years under Romans, Byzantines,
and Ottomans?

Cairo

Istanbul

Tehran

Alexandria
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Question 21

Istanbul:

was converted from a Christian city to a Muslim city

under the Ottomans.

has been overtaken by Ankara as the leading city of

Turkey.

lies on the Dardanelles, the key water route between

the Red Sea and the
Mediterranean.

anticipates building its first Metro line within the next

ten years.

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Question 22

Which one of the following does not describe an

environmental issue faced by Tehran?

water shortages and depleted aquifers

poor air quality caused by inversion layers trapping

pollution

major fault lines causing earthquakes

rising sea levels as a result of climate change

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Question 23

Iran’s geopolitical isolation has caused Tehran:

to become an internationally significant transactional

node regardless of its isolation.

to shrink as residents have moved to border cities for

access to international services.

to develop a completely unique form of urban

planning due to isolation from international norms.

not to be ranked as a world city on par with Cairo or

Istanbul.

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Question 24

The cultural landscape within the walls of old

Jerusalem includes sites that are sacred to:

Jews.

Jews, Muslims, and Christians.

Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Yazidis.

Jews and Muslims.

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Question 25
Which one of these statements about Jerusalem
is incorrect?

West Jerusalem is very Jewish and East Jerusalem

is very Arab.

East Jerusalem is largely Arab except for the

“settlements.”

It occupies an attractive site and strategic location.

It began as a hill town near the southern tip of the

western Fertile Crescent.

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Question 26

Mecca’s core is dominated not by a Central Business

District, but by a:

“Central Religious District” anchored by the Great

Mosque.

“Central Cultural District” anchored by the Museum

of Islam.

“Central Gateway District” anchored by the Mecca

International Airport.
 “Central Historical District” anchored by
Muhammed’s home.

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Question 27

Mecca experiences seasonal fluctuations in its

population because of:

Muslim pilgrims entering the city for the hajj.

nomadic shepherds driving their livestock into

market.

residents moving into the mountains outside the city

to escape the summer heat.

temporary workers seeking construction jobs during

the cooler winter.

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Question 28

Dubai has:

had very little cultural or economic influence despite

its relatively large size.

historically been small, experiencing large amounts

of growth only recently.
 always been a large and influential city on the Gulf.

had a history as a major manufacturing center in the

Arab world.

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Question 29

The population of Dubai is remarkable in that:

about 90% are Emiratis because the government

works hard to restrict immigration by denying
residency permits.

only about 10% are local Emiratis; the rest are

mostly immigrants from other Arab countries.

children of migrants, including second and third

generation South Asians, are automatically granted
Emirati citizenship.

only about 10% are local Emiratis; the rest are

foreign migrants, or their descendants, from across
the globe.

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Question 30

Part of the strategy in Dubai’s development has been

the implementation of megaprojects, iconic
architecture, and spaces of luxury. All of these are
examples of such development except:
 man-made islands in the shape of palm trees and
the world map.

a large shopping mall with an indoor ski slope.

the tallest building in the world.

a series of art museums, known as dhows, featuring

traditional Arab and Muslim art.

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Question 31

Access to fresh water in the Middle East and North

Africa is:

not an issue because the region experiences

frequent rains from storms off the nearby seas.

not an issue because recent studies have shown

that aquifers in the region are still recharging faster
than they are used.

an issue due to a lack of sustainable management

and increasing pressures on resources.

an issue only for a few specific cities such as

Sana’a; most other cities in MENA have sustainable
access to fresh water.
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Question 32

Climate change is a threat to the Middle East and

North Africa. What is the impact of urban design on
changing climate?

It can either mitigate the effects of climate change

through sustainable “best practices,” or worsen the
effects through poor design.

It can help alleviate climate change, but it is still

more costly to adapt to climate change than it is to
recover from climate disaster events.

All of the above.

It can reduce the urban heat-island effect by utilizing

asphalt paving materials and concrete to capture
excess heat.

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Question 33

Conflict and instability has led to forced migration

within the Middle East and North Africa. Which of the
following statements best describes the situation of
involuntary migrants in the region?

None of the above.

MENA is home to very few international refugees or

internally displaced people.
 MENA is home to a large number of international
refugees and internally displaced people.

Very few refugees from MENA stay in the region,

preferring countries in Europe or East Asia.

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Question 34

They are called gecekondu in Istanbul

and ashwaiyyat in Cairo. What are they?

areas of informal housing, often built on the urban

periphery

small, often walled, enclaves of skilled foreign

workers typically from abroad

large high-rise luxury housing tracts built by

developers investing in the region

tracts of government-built housing, often constructed

with cutting edge technology

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Question 35

Facets of the housing problem in cities of the Middle

East and North Africa include:
 an ongoing reduction in public housing availability.

the emergence of informal housing.

all of the above.

finding affordable housing for the middle class.

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Question 36

Tourism plays a major role in Middle Eastern and

North African economics. Which of the following
statements does not exemplify tourism’s impact on
cities in the region?

Portions of cities are being developed for tourists,

while residents live in their own separate sections.

Abandoned historical cities and sites such as Petra,

Ephesus, and Carthage are being revitalized for
tourists.

Cities such as Sharm El Sheikh are experiencing

urban growth from coastal tourism.

Cities are being bulldozed to make way for nature

preserves such as in the Imlil Valley or Cappadocia.

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Question 37
Studying public art in the urban landscape allows the
viewer insight into:

all of the above.

aesthetics, traditions, and histories of the city and its

people.

identities, values, and perspectives of local artists

and communities.

political opinions of both protesters and

governments.

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Question 38

What is the status of green space in Beirut?

Green space is limited in acreage but accessible to

all.

Green space is gradually replacing parking lots.

There is an average of 0.8 square meters of green

space per person.

Green space per person has grown to meet the

World Health Organization’s standard.
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Question 39

What word is used most often to describe the physical

structure of Middle Eastern cities as exemplified by
Baghdad in the 1930s?

open

single-story

polycentric

cellular

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Question 40

Gendered space prevails at the holiest site in

Judaism’s holiest city. In front of what structure in
Jerusalem would you find men praying on the left and
women praying on the right?

Haram al-Sharif

King David’s Tower

Western Wall

Dome of the Rock

Quiz Score: 40 out of 40