Goguryeo tomb murals

Complex of Goguryeo Tombs

Goguryeo tomb mural
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Location	North Korea
Coordinates	38°51′47″N 125°24′54″E / 38.863055555556°N 125.415°E / 38.863055555556; 125.415
Criteria	Cultural: (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)
Reference	1091
Inscription	2004 (28th Session)
Location of Complex of Goguryeo Tombs
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The Complex of Goguryeo Tombs (Complex of Koguryo Tombs) lie in North Korea. In July 2004, they became the first UNESCO World Heritage site in the country. The site consists of 30 individual tombs from the later Goguryeo kingdom, one of Three Kingdoms of Korea, located in the cities of P'yŏngyang and Namp'o. Goguryeo was one of the strongest Korean kingdoms in northeastern China and the Korean Peninsula from 37 BCE to the 7th century CE. The kingdom was founded in the present day area of North Korea, and part of Manchuria around 37 BCE, and the capital was transferred to P'yŏngyang in 427 CE.

Many of the tombs, such as the Anak Tomb No. 3, have wall paintings. The tombs are almost all that remains from this culture. There are over 10,000 Goguryeo tombs overall, but only about 90 of those unearthed in China and Korea have wall paintings. The Complex of Goguryeo Tombs inscribed on the World Heritage List contains the majority of these tombs with wall paintings. It is thought that the complex was used as a burial site for kings, queens and other members of the royal family. The paintings found on the tombs offer a unique insight into the everyday life of the Goguryeo period. The group includes the Tomb of King Tongmyong.

The murals are strongly coloured and show daily life and Korean mythologies of the time. By 2005, 70 murals had been found, mostly in the Taedong river basin near Pyongyang, the Anak area in South Hwanghae province, and in Ji'an in China's Jilin province.

The following criteria were considered by UNESCO to merit the Goguryeo tombs' inscription as a World Heritage site: