Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area

Map

Ancient Wooden Architecture: The Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area

The Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area, located in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan, is a remarkable testament to the rich cultural heritage of the country. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, this collection of 48 Buddhist monuments spans over a millennium, with several structures dating back to the late 7th or early 8th century, making them some of the oldest surviving wooden buildings in the world.

More to come…

UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

There are around 48 Buddhist monuments in the Horyu-ji area, in Nara Prefecture. Several date from the late 7th or early 8th century, making them some of the oldest surviving wooden buildings in the world. These masterpieces of wooden architecture are important not only for the history of art, since they illustrate the adaptation of Chinese Buddhist architecture and layout to Japanese culture, but also for the history of religion, since their construction coincided with the introduction of Buddhism to Japan from China by way of the Korean peninsula.

Encyclopedia Record: Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area

The UNESCO World Heritage Site Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area includes a variety of buildings found in Hōryū-ji and Hokki-ji in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. These buildings were designated in 1993 along with the surrounding landscape, under several criteria. The structures inscribed are some of the oldest extant wooden buildings in the world, dating from the 7th to 8th centuries. Many of the monuments are also National Treasures of Japan, and reflect an important age of Buddhist influence in Japan. The structures include 21 buildings in the Hōryū-ji East Temple, 9 in the West Temple, 17 monasteries and other buildings, and the pagoda in Hokki-ji.

Read more on Wikipedia