Ile-Ife: The mystery and fascination of the ‘Source’

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Entering the city of Ife, there is actually no difference between the city and any other average ancient town that has been inhabited by people for hundreds of years and is gradually faced with transition that comes with modernity in terms of structures and people’s way of life. Old houses are gradually being rendered out of place by modern structures. The whiff of the past is giving way to the fragrance of the present.

However, as one moved towards the centre of the town, the preponderance of old buildings kind of becomes more pronounced than the modern ones seen at the outskirt of the town.

Ife offers an average tourist a key-hole pip into the past and one is overwhelmed by the sight. One feels the vulnerability and human mortality, ephemeral nature of man’s existence and amazed by the resilience of the earth. One is awestruck by the mystery which Ile -Ife encapsulates.

Every town has its own history of how it came into existence, but not many could lay claim to being the ‘Source’ and origin of life and earth. Ile-Ife does.

These were some of the thoughts that raced through one’s mind while navigating through the city to the Ooni’s palace. Still turning this over one’s mind, the bold inscription Ile Oodua, hit one on the face as one approached the palace of the Ooni. . It was here, Oduduwa, the progenitor of the Yoruba race descended to earth the from heaven, according to Yoruba mythology.

The sign at the gate simply says: Ile Oodua, the Home of Odua. This is the best place to start a tour of the tourism spots in Ile-Ife.

There are many places of interest for a tourist to visit in Ile-Ife, within the palace of Ooni without necessarily barging into the main palace which is the residential area of the Ooni. One of the biggest points of interest is the Ile Illa.

The Ile Illa according an indigene of Ife is a kind of town hall where the Ooni meets with his people. However, unlike other town halls, the Ile Illa is sacred. At the back of the hall is where past monarchs of Ife were buried. That gives the place a kind of solemnity and is revered by Ife people.

In front of the Ile Illa is the a statue of Moremi, a Yoruba heroine. According to Yoruba myth, she was the wife of Oranmiyan, Odua’s son. She was able to ward off an external aggression through a clever device.

Also in the palace, a tourist should look out for the Yemolu well. However, according to the tradition of the people, no one dare use for well, except the king, the Ooni. One wonders if the children of he Ooni, who are his off-spring are not allowed to use the well. The answer was no: "they arte not the king so they can’t use the water".

Another tourist spot a tourist could visit is the Ogun Laabin. The place is said to be the point where Oduduwa descended from heaven with chain. The chain is said to have terminated at that point.

There is also the Oduduwa grove where, according to Yoruba myth, Odua ended his life. He entered the soil and did not come out again. According the culture of the people of Ife, any new Ooni that is to be installed must stay some days there. The culture says the sojourn there would offer the new Ooni the opportunity to commune directly with O’odua.

A tour of Ife would not be complete without visiting the Enuwa park just in front of the Ooni’s palace. The V-shaped park has sitting slap for those who may wish to sit and also enjoy the beautiful ambience of beautiful flowers with their sweet fragrance. There is also at the front of the park a tower with a clock. Behind the tower is the larger than life statue of Oodua. It is painted white. He has a single loin clothe wrapped round his left shoulder. His face is covered with the beaded crown and clutching a staff on his right hand. A cockerel is pitched on the staff. Surrounded the park area are local structures that tells one it was from this area the spread of Ife to other parts of the town must have started. One cannot but enjoy the semi-rustic nature of life here that are punctured by the vehicles and motorcycles that drive to and fro.

One of the artifacts that have come to almost symbolize Ife city is the Oranmiyan staff. The staff would be seen at fenced area in Akogun with trees surrounding the area. Worshippers go there for prayers. There is a whole community in charge of the Oranmiyan staff enclosure. According to Yoruba history, when Oranmiyan was about to die, the sword he was using for war was buried there. There is an obelisk on that spot.

The staff stands at over five meters.

Also within the palace is the Emese area. The Emeses are the traditional aides of the king. The emeses are there at the beck and call of the Ooni.

So, how did Ife come to assume this pride of place in Yoruba land? This brings one to Yoruba cosmology: "Obatala the Yoruba supreme deity sent Oduduwa his son to the earth. He descended from heaven by a chain with three things. He was said to have first scattered dirt over the ocean to create Ile Ife. He put a cockerel with six fingers on land. It was the cockerel that spread the soil to other parts of the world and covered the water. Oduduwa planted a palm tree from where 16 branches representing the families of the early Yorubas states.

A tourist is visit to Ife would not be complete without a visit to Ife museums. Ife, expectedly, has three museums. The most prominent is however the Ife National Musuem. It is by the left of the Ooni’s palace while entering the palace. It contains some of the excavations that have made Ife archeological goldmine for artifacts last century.

The museum at the Obafemi Awolowo University was built and donated to the university by an indigene of Ife, Chief… Owoyem. It also has its own share of rich harvest of archeological findings.

Ife is a destination well endowed in the area of cultural tourism. However, accommodation facilities, are an area where Ife, surprisingly, could not be said to be doing well. There are moderate hotels, however, they are little more than two-star hotels and lower. But one hopes this would be a thing of the past with the current golf resort project in progress.

Ife is a city brimming with youth. It is like a town that is perpetually in the beginning of the planting season. This is not unexpected being a university community, as such the town drinks from the knowledge modernity has to offer. But behind this sign of spring, is a gripping culture and would always leave indigenes and visitors fascinated. This is Ile-Ife, the Source and cradle of the Yoruba civilization.