9/11 FAQs

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and the events of September 11, 2001. Visit our Learn and Explore from Home page for interactive experiences and our MEMO blog for stories of commemoration and memorialization. Support our mission

What does Afghanistan have to do with 9/11?

What is the 9/11 Memorial?

What is the 9/11 Memorial Museum?

What was the World Trade Center?

The World Trade Center (WTC) was a 16-acre commercial complex in lower Manhattan that contained seven buildings, a large plaza, and an underground shopping mall that connected six of the buildings. The centerpieces of the complex were the Twin Towers. On September 11, 2001, the entire complex was destroyed in a terrorist attack that has come to be referred to as “9/11.”

What were the Twin Towers?

What happened on 9/11?

What happened at the World Trade Center on 9/11?

What is Islam?

Islam is the world’s second-largest religion. An adherent of Islam is a Muslim. Islam’s beliefs and practices center around two key sources: the Qur’an and the Hadith. The Qur’an contains what Muslims believe is God’s final revelation, made to the Prophet Muhammad, Islam’s founder, more than 1,400 years ago. The Hadith is a collection of Muhammad’s sayings and deeds during his life.

What is an Islamist extremist?


What is al-Qaeda?

Why did the terrorists attack the World Trade Center and the Pentagon?

What countries did the terrorists come from?

Fifteen of the 19 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia. Two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was from Lebanon, and one was from Egypt.