Oke Ora
Òkè Ọ̀rà | |
The 650m Ora Hill (Oke Ora) as seen from Ife looking due East. | |
| Location | Ilode II, Ife East Local Government Area, Nigeria |
|---|---|
| Region | Nigeria Osun State |
| Coordinates | 7°30′28″N 4°37′36″E / 7.50778°N 4.62667°E |
| Altitude | 650 m (2,133 ft) |
| History | |
| Founded | Late Stone Age |
| Abandoned | 900CE (?) |
| Cultures | Early Yorubaland |
| Associated with | Oranfe, Oduduwa |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1977 |
| Archaeologists | Omotoso Eluyemi |
| Condition | Abandoned. (A small hamlet at the foot of the hill continues to bear the name) |
| Early Yoruba community, The origin of Oduduwa and Oranfe | |
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Oke Ora (Yoruba: Òkè Ọ̀rà) is an ancient community and archaeological site situated on a hill about 8 km (5 mi) east of Ufẹ̀ (Ilé-Ifẹ̀), in between the city and the small village of Itagunmodi. Two important characters in the early history of Yorubaland; Oranife (Oramfe) and Oduduwa came from Oke Ora. Several stories and legends of the Yoruba people surround the site. In the Yoruba creation legend, it was the first mound of earth formed from the soil in a snail shell and from which Ife, the first settlement was built. Today, it continues to play an important role in certain religious rites of the Ife people, most significantly, in the coronation rituals of the Ọwọni (Ooni), king of Ifẹ̀.