Gyeongju is a city in North Gyeongsang province, South Korea.
The city was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla, which ruled most of the Korean Peninsula from the 7th to the 9th centuries. At that time, the city was called "Seorabeol" (서라벌; 西羅伐). UNESCO has named Gyeongju as of the world's ten most important ancient cultural cities.
Today, Gyeongju is a major cultural site and tourist destination for South Koreans. To the east of the city is Bulguksa—one of South Korea's largest Buddhist temples—and Seokguram, a Buddhist shrine. (For much more on the ancient capital and its modern historic remains, please see the article Silla).
The city center of Gyeongju, which was also the capital of Silla, is located in the Gyeongju Basin, on the banks of the Hyeongsan River. Due to this location, it has been subject to repeated flooding throughout recorded history. Modern flood control mechanisms greatly reduced flooding in the later 20th century. The last major flood occurred in 1991 when a local reservoir overflowed due to Typhoon Gladys .
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