the start point of the Yoruba people. The city of Ife is a big city located in
the present day Osun state which is about 218 kilometres northeast of Lagos
state. The city covers a total 1,791 km2 of the state. Ife consist
of four local governments which include Ife Central, Ife East, Ife South, Ife
North with a total population of about 755,260 people according to the 2011
census.
stories behind the city, so if you want to move to the city, below are 15
things you need to know about the city of Ife.
The Origin of Ife is regarded as the Mythic
creation of the world:
Olodumare who is regarded by the Yoruba religion
as the Supreme God sent Obatala to create the earth but he found and drack wine
on his way which made him intoxicated. Oduduwa who was the younger brother of
Obatala saw the state and condition of his brother, collected the three items
of creation from him and climbed down from the heavens through a long chain, he
then threw a handful of earth on the ocean before putting a cockerel that would
scatter the earth. And that was the birth of the Great city of Ife and its
people. Though there are many myths about the creation of Ife but this one is
the most generally accepted one.
Dispersion
from the holy city, the birth of Regional states:
After the creation work
done by Oduduwa, he had sons and daughters who found their own kingdoms which
include IlaOrangu, ,Sabe, Owu, Ketu, Popo among others. Oduduwa’s lastborn,
Oranmiyan was sent by his father to oversee the nascent Edo Empire after the
people of Edo begged Oduduwa to govern them and he agreed.Oranmiyan’s child
Eweka later became the first legitimate ruler of the second Edo dynasty.
Oranmiyan later found the Oyo Empire, one of the biggest empires in Nigeria.
Ife has
cults of the spirit:
Every day of the year, the traditional worshipers
celebrate a festival for one deity or the other because Ife is popularly known
as a city of 401 deities with the Ooni (traditional ruler of Ife) as the 401st
deity. Being in Ife will afford you seeing these colourful effects but historically,
the Ooni only appeared in public during the yearly Olojo Festival. Other
notable festivals include the Edi festival of Moremi, The Itapa festival for
Obatala and the Igare masqueraders.
The Ooni
is the Traditional ruler of Ife:
When counting A-list kings in Nigeria, then the Ooni of Ife is
considered as one of the most respected and leader of other Yoruba Obas. The
Ooni is often referred as “IgbakejiOrisha” which means second to the gods
because he is considered as the 401st spirit, the one that speaks.
His Imperial Majesty AdeyeyeEnitanOgunwusiOjajallis the present Ooni of Ife who
accended the throne of his fore fathers in 2015. He is the 51stOoni
of ife.
Ife has a
good Art history:
Ife is widely known for its ancient bronze, terracotta
sculptures which was widely known and accepted between 1200 and 1400 AD when
they reached the peak of their artistic expression. Ife was also popular for
its glass beads. Many of the magnificent collection of the Ife art can also be
found in National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria after the
exhibition that featured over 100 superb pieces of Ife sculptures to mark the 50th
anniversary of Nigerian Independence in 2010.
The
Geography and Climate of the city:
Ife is a city located in the tropical
savanna climate zone of West Africa with an average rainfall of 1340mm and
average annual temperature of 26.2 0C. January is the driest month with
9mm of rain, while the month with the highest amount of rainfall is September
with an average of 211mm. the warmest month of the year is March with average
temperature of 28.3 0C and the month of August is the coldest with
an average temperature of 23.9 0C.Ife is 40km away from Osogbo the
state capital and East of the city of Ibadan. Its road connects to cities like
Ede, Ilesha and Ondo state.
Be ready
to party:
Almost every day in Ife is a day of one ceremony or the other
ranging from Wedding, birthday, concert, burial, festival, carnival or just a
normal get-together party. The people of Ife like most yoruba communities like
to party at any given opportunity. Anytime you are in Ife, just take a time out
to visit one of those parties to enjoy different Yoruba delicacies with big
meats.
Reserve
Area and centre of tourism in Ife:
Yorubas everywhere in the world trace
their roots to Ile-Ife as it is regarded as a holy city for the yoruba race. If
you are looking for places to visit, then you will need to start from the
palace of the Ooni of Ife. The palace contains the royal stool that Oduduwa the
founder of the Yoruba race used. The Oranmiyan staff (OpaOranmiyan) is a
mystery staff that has attracted many tourists around the world. The staff is
about 18 feet above the ground and the mystery is how the staff got there. Other
places of interest include national Museum Ife, Obasewa complex, Oduduwa groove; Moremi
Shrine, Ife Nla and the ObafemiAwolowo University Ife which is one of the best
and most recognized university in Nigeria and West Africa.
Low cost
of Living:
The cost of things in Ife is moderately low. You can get
apartments ranging from one room apartment, self-contain and flat for a
reasonable amount. You can get a decent one room apartment for 20 thousand
naira per annum, self-contain for #60 thousand, and a three bedroom flat can go
for #120 per year. Transportation too is cheap in Ife as the most popular means
of transport is the use of okada. You can lodge a hotel in Ife for as low as
#2000 per night.Meals in hotel too are considerably cheap, although prices vary
depending on the type and location of the restaurant or eatery.
Avoid
late night walk:
If you are the type that likes clubbing or moving in the
night, then you will need to be very careful. Ife is a land full of many
rituals, traditions and festivals so not all festivals are favourable to
strangers. The Olojo festival is the
most popular festival in Ife which runs for seven days. During these days,
there are activiitives that involve rituals, sacrifices and other things which
strangers are not permitted to partake in. during this period all strangers are
expected to be indoor until the sixth and seventh day.