Gyeongju Historic Areas

Korean name
Hangul	경주 역사유적 지구
Hanja	慶州歷史遺蹟地區
Revised Romanization	Gyeongju Yeoksayujeok jigu
McCune–Reischauer	Kyǒngju Yǒksayujǒk chigu

Gyeongju Historic Areas
UNESCO World Heritage Site
	Royal tumuli at Gyeongju
Location	Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea
Criteria	Cultural: (ii), (iii)
Reference	976
Inscription	2000 (24th Session)
Area	2,880 ha (7,100 acres)
Buffer zone	350 ha (860 acres)
Coordinates	35°47′20″N 129°13′36″E / 35.78889°N 129.22667°E
	Location of Gyeongju Historic Areas in South Korea

The Gyeongju Historic Areas of

World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. The protected areas encompass the ruins of temples and palaces, outdoor pagodas and statuary, and other cultural artifacts left by the Silla

Kingdom. The historic areas are sometimes known as one of the largest outdoor museums in the world.

Organization of the areas

Mount Namsan Belt

The

Tumuli

of the Silla kings dating from the 2nd century until the 10th century are also found at this belt.

The Wolseong Belt

Anapji Pond

The main attractions of this portion of the Gyeongju Historic Areas are the ruins of

Anapji Pond, the ruins of the Imhaejeon Palace, and the famous Cheomseongdae

Observatory.

This belt consists of three groups of royal tombs. Most of the tumuli are shaped like domes or mounds of earth. However, some are shaped like gourds or half-moons. Excavated tombs reveal wooden coffins covered with gravel and rich grave goods of gold, glass, and quality ceramics. A famous example of a tomb in this park is the

Heavenly Horse Tomb

which contained a mural painting on birch bark saddle flap of a winged horse.

The Hwangnyongsa Belt

This cluster of historic remains is centered around the ruins of Hwangnyongsa Temple and Bunhwangsa Temple. According to the excavated foundation stones, Hwangnyongsa was the largest temple ever built in Korea and covered 72,500 m². The Bunhwagsa Temple exists today at a fraction of its size. In the past, it was one of the most important Buddhist temples. A stone pagoda made from brick-like stones is a popular ruin. It is believed to have had seven or nine stories but only three remain today.

The Sanseong Belt

This portion of the property includes the ruins of the Myeonghwal mountain fortress (Myeonghwal Sanseong) situated on Mount Myeonghwal at Bomun Lake about 6 kilometres east of the downtown of Gyeongju.

References

External links