Seokguram Grotto with granite dome
Gruta de Seokguram con cúpula de granito
- Date
- 751-774 · confidence high
- Place
- Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, South Korea
- Credited to
- Kim Dae-seong and Unified Silla masons
- Field
- Tools
What it is
An artificial granite temple-grotto covered with earth, whose dome of stepped slabs shelters a large Buddha statue. It combines rigorous geometric proportions with high-relief carving and is the masterpiece of Silla art.
Construction began in 751 under Kim Dae-seong and finished around 774. Claims that its proportions follow a precise mathematical system are modern interpretations; the 1913 Japanese restoration altered the original structure.
What it led to
- a model of the Buddhist cave temple in East Asia outside India
- study of geometric proportions and humidity control in stone architecture
- a landmark of Korean Buddhist art (World Heritage, 1995)