RouteIbadan

Old Oyo National Park: Ruins of the Yoruba Empire

150 km north of Ibadan, Old Oyo National Park protects the ruins of the greatest city in West African history — the capital of the Oyo Empire that dominated the region from 1400 to 1835

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1
Oyo Empire Capital Ruins
The earthen ramparts and structural remains of the capital of the Oyo Empire are scattered across the savannah park — the scale of the original city visible in the raised ramparts
2
Gbere Palace Site Excavation
Archaeological excavations at the Gbere site have revealed palace foundations, pottery and iron objects from the height of Oyo power in the 17th and 18th centuries
3
Old Oyo National Park Wildlife
The park around the ruins protects the wild animals of the West African savanna - roan antelope, kob, waterbuck and the occasional lion in a landscape similar to what the kings of Oyo once hunted
4
Oyo Oral History Tradition
The Bara priests of Oyo maintain the oral history of the empire – their songs encode the genealogies of kings, deeds of battle and the ritual obligations of royalty
5
Return of the Alafin Ceremony
The festival of the Alaafin of Oyo in the city of Oyo (the new capital) celebrates the legacy of the empire – the current Alaafin traces his lineage directly to Oduduwa
6
Nupe Riverbank Villages
The northern boundary of the park reaches the Ogun River where Nupe fishing villages have kept their way of life largely unchanged since before the Oyo Empire