Tomb of Queen Seondeok 경주 선덕여왕릉

Address : 79-2, Bomundongsan, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do 

Located near the peak of Nanshan (낭산·狼山), a small mountain about seven kilometers south of central Gyeongju, the royal tomb (선덕여왕릉·善德女王陵) is round shaped with earthen layers, 73 meters in circumference. 

Aside from the fact that it was constructed using natural stones in double layers, the tomb has no other unique features. 

As the second daughter of King Jinpyeong (진평), Seondeok became the first queen of the Silla Kingdom. 

During the 16th year of her reign, Bunhwangsa Temple (분황사) and Cheomseongdae Observatory (첨성대) were built. 

She also ordered the construction of the famous nine-story pagoda of Hwangyongsa Temple, an achievement of Buddhist architecture. 

While many of her efforts laid the foundation for the unification of Three Kingdoms of Korea, Queen Seondeok’s reign was plagued by rebellion and strife and she died in 647 during a rebellion, 23 years before unification was realized.