ILE - IFE

THE CRADLE OF YORUBA

Ile Ife, also known as Ife, is an ancient Yoruba city in the Southwestern part of Nigeria. Ile Ife is said to be dated back around 500 BC.when it was founded and is the oldest Yoruba city. Ife is also a prominent regional agricultural center for a surrounding area that produced vegetables, grain, cocoa, tobacco and cotton.

Ile Ife is the city where the Yoruba believe their civilization began as well as thelocation where the gods descended to earth. The name Ile Ife, literally means place of dispersion. After the death of Oduduwa, his sons and other descendants spread out from Ile Ife to found other Yoruba state.

According to Yoruba tradition, Ife was founded by the deities Oduduwa and Obatala when they created the world. Obatala fashioned the first humans out of clay while Oduduwa became the first divine king of the Yoruba people.

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