Tomb of Queen Seondeok

The Tomb of Queen Seondeok, atop Mt. Nangsan in Gyeongju, is believed to have been built around 646. It's a round earthen mound 6.8m high and 23.6m across, with little ornamentation beyond a two-tier natural-stone retaining wall at its base.

Born a daughter of King Jinpyeong, who had no sons, Seondeok became Silla's first female monarch through the kingdom's unique "hallowed bone" royal-lineage system. Over her 16-year reign, she is credited with building Cheomseongdae Observatory, Bunhwangsa Temple, and the nine-story pagoda of Hwangnyongsa, then Silla's largest structure. A modest mound, but one carrying the weight of one of Silla's most significant monarchs.