East and West Three-story Stone Pagodas at the Gameunsa Temple Site

These twin pagodas at the Gameunsa Temple Site are identical in size and style. The pagodas were erected by putting 82 stones together. The third story of the pagoda’s body, which consists of a single stone, contains a hole for enshrining sarira reliquaries. The stones used for the finial, except the stone on top, have disappeared, leaving the finial pole exposed to the outside. It seems that while the way of assembling stones reflected the structure of wooden pagodas, the use of terraced roof stones originated from an architectural style based on brick pagodas. The pagodas’ stable proportions and magnificent appearance show the progressive spirit of Unified Silla. When the West Pagoda and East Pagoda underwent restoration in 1959 and 1996, respectively, sarira reliquaries in the same style were found in the two pagodas.