Gaya Tumuli make Unesco's World Heritage list

Korean Heritage

Published: 17 Sep. 2023, 22:24 Updated: 18 Sep. 2023, 16:53

Gaya Tumuli make Unesco's World Heritage list

Goryeong Jisan-dong Tumuli in Goryeong County, South Gyeongsang [CULTURAL HERITAGE ADMINISTRATION]

The Gaya Tumuli, seven tomb clusters from Korea's Gaya Confederacy (42–562), were officially inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage list during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday.

The committee recognized the "outstanding universal value" of the Gaya Tumuli, "which represents important evidence of the diversity found in an ancient East Asian civilization that co-existed with its neighbors while maintaining a distinct confederated political system," the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said in a press release.

The session has been underway since Sept. 10.

Korean tidal flats inscribed as Unesco world natural heritages

The International Council on Monuments and Sites, an advisory body to Unesco's World Heritage Committee, introduces Gaya Tumuli during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee on Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. [CULTURAL HERITAGE ADMINISTRATION]

The inscription comes after a decade-long effort, as it had been on the tentative list since 2013.

It was finally recommended for inscription in May by the International Council on Monuments and Sites, an advisory body to Unesco's World Heritage Committee, after undergoing a thorough review, including on-site inspection.

Haman Marisan Tumuli in Haman County, South Gyeongsang [CULTURAL HERITAGE ADMINISTRATION]

During the Gaya period, around 780 tumuli of different sizes were built in the southern part of the peninsula. Among them, seven have made it on the list, which are: Gimhae Daeseong-dong Tumuli, Haman Marisan Tumuli, Hapcheon Okjeon Tumuli, Goryeong Jisan-dong Tumuli, Goseong Songhak-dong Tumuli, Changnyeong Gyo-dong and Songhyeon-dong Tumuli and Namwon Yugok-ri and Durak-ri Tumuli.

These seven tumuli are located in hilly areas along the Nakdong River and display the architectural style of tombs built in the 4th and 5th centuries. Such well-preserved tumuli of the Gaya Confederacy are significant because they serve as important archaeological evidence of the Gaya culture with its distinct political system.

According to the CHA, the World Heritage Committee suggested the CHA continue its efforts to acquire the privately owned plots around the seven sites, establish an integrated monitoring system and involve local communities in the decision-making process.

With the addition of Gaya Tumuli, Korea now has 16 sites on the Unesco World Heritage list, of which 14 are cultural heritages and two are natural.