The Tomb of King Gyeongdeok () is believed to belong to

Gyeongdeok of Silla Gyeongdeok (景德王; 723~724–765) was the 35th ruler of Silla and son of Seongdeok of Silla, King Seongdeok (reigned 702–737). He succeeded his elder brother, King Hyoseong, the 34th ruler of Silla. His reign is considered a golden age in ...

(r. 742–765). It is located in

Gyeongju Gyeongju (, ), historically known as Seorabeol (, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of ...

, South Korea. On January 21, 1963, it was designated Historic Site of South Korea No. 23. It is a

tumulus A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of Soil, earth and Rock (geology), stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found through ...

tomb encircled by a stone fence and carvings of the twelve animals of the

zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...

. Gyeongdeok's burial is mentioned in the historical texts ''

Samguk sagi ''Samguk sagi'' () is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Completed in 1145, it is well-known in Korea as the oldest surviving chronicle of Korean history. The ''Samguk sagi'' is written in Classical ...

'' and ''

Samguk yusa ''Samguk yusa'' (; ) or ''Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms'' is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, d ...

''. There is some scholarly debate about whom exactly the tomb belongs to. Some argue that the carvings around the tomb are more characteristic of tombs from later than Gyeongdeok's era.

References

{{Reflist Coordinates not on Wikidata Tumuli in Gyeongju Historic Sites of South Korea Tombs of Silla monarchs