Ile-Ife, which is said to mean "The land of expansion or dispersion" is historically said to be dominated by the Igbo people before Oduduwa and his entourage invaded them and chased them away to the East. On the other hand, it was said to have been founded by Obatala, before it fell into the hands of his sibling Oduduwa and this created enmity between them. Oduduwa reigned supreme in Ile-ife and his offspring became rulers in various Yoruba kingdom. History also has it that the first Ooni of Ife is a descendant of Oduduwa.
Ife is known for Arts - In the days of old, naturalistic bronze, stone and terracotta sculpture were made then. Till date, it has the World's history Museum in the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University. Also, in the early years of Ife, the Ooni's palace was a structure of enamel bricks decorated with artistic ornaments to beautify it. But, presently, the palace of the Ooni is a modern building. In Ife, there are different statue one of which is the statue of Moreno of Moremi hall (UNILAG), a woman known for her captivating beauty and tremendous efforts.
Ile-ife people are well known to be sacred people that no Yoruba sub-region dares to declare war on her. It was said that when the Owu's attacked and brought war to Ife, together with Ibadan, Ijebu and ile-ife people, the Owu's were conquered and they got more than they imagined as they were chased out of Yoruba land; that is why the Owu's are dominated in Abeokuta till date.
As an ancient traditional city, Ile-ife is known as a city of dieties. It is estimated to have about 401 dirties which people called Orisha or Irunmole, and for each day, there's a festival feast to worship a diety. In Ife, there are several festival that people from far and near come to grace, such as: Edi festival for Moremi Ajasoro, and the Igare masquerade, Itapa festival... But, the most important of all these festival is the "Olojo festival" this is the only festival day that the king appears in public and he gets to wear the "Aare crown" (a mysterious crown worn once in a year and it transition the Ooni into a god the moment he wears it). Also, on Olojo festival day, no sacrifice is made anywhere in the city. In celebration of some festival, the feast spill over to the next day. Some of the gods worshipped are: Obatala, Ogun, Osun, Orunmila, Oya, Yemoja and many others. The chief priest is called Araba; he guides and man how the gods are reverenced.
As a traditional city, Ife has different shrines and temple that people worship in, Shrines like:
Igbo Olokun - this is a housed location where the Olokun goddess is being worshipped.
Oduduwa shrine - The progenitor of the Yoruba race. People go to worship him to seek blessings.
Agbonniregun temple - The grove of Orumila and Orisha. He is said to be the giver of wisdom and knowledge.
In Ife, there are three conscious religion: Christianity, Islam and Traditional. But, the later is said to have prospered more than the first two.
Ife has a local TV called NTA Ife. Ife is a city known for trading and business exploration. In Ife, natural resources such as Grains, Cocoa and tobacco are grown, not leaving out cotton which is used in weaving clothes. There are also some relaxation point in Ife, namely: Diganga hotel, Cameroon hotel, Obafemi Awolowo University guest house and a stadium with roughly 9000 capacity. Ile-ife, "The land of expansion" is not only a place for the Yorubas but also a welcoming city for all race of humanity. The oldest building in Ife is the Seventh Day Adventist, which was dated back as far as 100 years. Also, situated in Ife is the most popular University, Obafemi Awolowo University, formally known as University of Ife (which was founded in 1962) before it was renamed Obafemi Awolowo University on 12th May, 1987 by the Federal Military Government in honour of the most distinguished eminent nationalist and former chancellor, Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo (1909-1987).
At present, the ruler of Ife since 2015 is, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunnusi Ojaja II. He is the 51st King in Ife. He is an accountant before he became the Ooni.
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