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석굴암
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石窟庵
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Seokguram
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Sŏkkuram
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The is an
Hermitage of the
Bulguksa temple and lies east of the temple on Mt.
Tohamsan , in
Gyeongju ,
South Korea . In 1962, it was designated the 24th
National Treasure Of Korea . In 1995, Seokguram was added to the
UNESCO World Heritage list together with Bulguksa.
It is said to have been built by
Gim Daeseong and orignially called ''Seokbulsa'' (석불사, "Stone Buddha Temple''). Construction began in 751, the 10th year of the reign of King
Gyeongdeok Of Silla , the cultural peak of
Unified Silla , and was completed by the Silla court in 774, shortly after Gim's death.
Repair and improvements were undertaken in 1703 and 1758, during the
Joseon Dynasty . The Japanese
Government-General Of Chosen conducted restoration works three times, but it faced humidity and other problems. After
World War II , in the 1960s, President
Park Chung Hee pursued a major restoration project to correct the work done during the Japanese occupation. The interior of the grotto can now only be viewed through a glass wall, installed to protect it from the large number of tourists it attracts.
It is now one of the best known cultural destinations in South Korea, and viewing of the sunrise over the
Sea Of Japan (East Sea) is especially popular.
It is a granite sanctuary with a
Buddha statue seated in the main chamber. The main hall of Seokguram houses a Bojon statue ''Bodhisattva'' and his disciples. The grotto was built around these statues in order to protect them from weathering. The ceiling of the Seokguram grotto is decorated with half moons, the top is decorated with a lotus flower.
Because of the long periods of abandonment and numerous renovations, many details are disputed amongst scholars, such as the exact layout of the original grotto, the buildings in Bulguksa or the shape of the watercourse, which no longer exists, in front of the temple.
