As the former Silla capital, Gyeongju contains most of the royal tombs of the ancient dynasty’s previous rulers. While these mound-shaped graves are not flamboyantly decorated, they certainly are enormous in size. The most famous tombs are Cheonmachong and Hwangnamdaechong, which are located at the Daereungwon Tomb Complex. Visitors can enter some of the tombs through a small entrance leading into the area beneath the large mound. Also nearby is Cheomseongdae, which literally translates to “nearer the stars palace.” It is an ancient observatory that was built during the reign of Queen Seondeok (632-647 CE) for the purpose of star-gazing and predicting the weather.