Tomb of King Gyeongae, Gyeongju

Basic information

Designation

Historic Site No.222

Category

유적지

Era

통일신라 경애왕

Designated year

1971

Location

경주시, 경상북도— 경북 경주시 배동 산73-1번지

Coordinates

35.796113, 129.208374

This is the tomb of King Gyeongae (924~927), the 55th ruler of the Silla Dynasty and the son of King Gyeongmyeong. He was tragically murdered in a surprise guerrilla attack launched by Gyeon Hwon of Later Baekje (the country established for the restoration of the ancient Baekje Dynasty) while he was participating in a social meeting held in Poseokjeong Pavilion. His tomb is located in an area of pine forest and has no outstanding features, being similar to tombs of ordinary people at that time. Its diminutive appearance means it has not been regarded as an important royal tomb with historic value so it has never been formally excavated. A note related to Gyeongae can be found in the Samguk sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms): "He was buried in Haemongnyeong Pass near Namsan Mountain." This citation has given rise to another viewpoint among scholars. It is that Haemongnyeong Pass was said to be a great distance off from the site of the tomb; therefore the tomb of King Ilseong, which is located near the Haemongnyeong Pass, is the true tomb of King Gyeongae.

Location