Idanre Hill

The Idanre Hill, or Oke Idanre is located in Idanre town in Ondo State of southwestern Nigeria.^[1]

Views from the Idanre Hills.

Idanre Hill in April 2023.

The Idanre Hill is well known for its scenic landscape.^[2][3] Its wide variety of cultural sites like 'Owa's Palace', shrines, The Old Court, Belfry, Agboogun footprint, thunder water (Omi Apaara) and burial grounds have since brought the location fame and the nation's nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage Site shortlist.^[4][5] It is situated 3000 ft (914.4meters) above sea level and houses a unique ecosystem upon which the cultural landscape has Integrated.^[6] It also has diverse and variegated eco-systems of flora and fauna. Oke Idanre contains very important bio-physical and land form features whose interaction with the physical features created an enduring cultural landscape within the setting.^[7]

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

Idanre Hill is a natural landscape located in Ondo State, Nigeria. Added to its beauty, which has inspired much human curiosity, is the fact that the entire people of Idanre lived among these boulders for almost a millennium. Since emigration began declining, in 1923, the topography, vegetation as well as the fauna and floral life have remained undistributed. However, festivals provide occasions for low-landers to be reunited with the natural environments as well as to reenact historical episodes in local Idanre history and its wider Yoruba ideology, mythology and confederacy.^[7]

There is the Ogun festival, which is partly celebrated on top of the hills during October and Ije festival, which spread over seven days.^[8][9]

Apart from theses festivals, which make the site a living tradition, the flora and fauna of the hills are also unique. There is a special species of tailless animal called Hyrax that lives on the rocks which are becoming extinct because of hunting. There are also special monkeys that have been spotted near Orosun hills.^{[citation needed]}

The hill is also host to a group of scientists and field researchers. The site is home to a group of bats, and the people hold a unique festival of bats every year. The hill is being used by filmmakers as location for many of their films. In addition, it is referenced in the work of the one and only Nobel Prize Winner for Literature in Africa, Professor Wole Soyinka, whose known for his work "Idanre and other Poems".^[7]

Comparison with other similar properties

Most settlements in Nigeria have, by nature and tradition, been around or attached to groves and hills. The majority of these groves and hills have either been abandoned or are now limited to very small areas. Idanre Hill, however–like Dala hill in Kano North West, Nigeria–has retained its qualities as the central moderating influence of the settlement pattern of Idanre people. Like Dala Hill, which started as an iron ore prospecting settlement and provided the foundation for the growth of Kano city, Idanre Hill forms the nucleus for the people of Idanre .^[7]

Geology

2- Idanre Hills

Idanre Hill is located on a Precambrian igneous batholith that is about 500 million years old, and is cut by several large fractures which form deep valleys within the rocks.^[10][5]

World Heritage status

This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 8 October 2007 in the Cultural category.^[4][11]

The hills' limestone karst adjacent to the town of Idanre

Myths

Idanre Hill is said to have nine ancient wonders and beliefs^[12]

All the following myths are located on the Idanre Hill;^[13]

1. "Ibi Akaso" The Steps 2. The King's Palace 3. Agboogun’s Legacy 4. Unreadable signs 5. Agboogun's footprint 6. The wonderful mat 7. "Omi Aopara" Aopara Water 8. The Orosun Hill 9. Arun river

Wildlife

The hill stands out and is listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Amietophrynus perreti, or the Perret's toad, is only known from a single locality at the Idanre Hill.^[14][15] The five sites where forest elephants are found in southern Nigeria are the Omo Forests in Ogun State, the Okomu National Park in Edo State, the Cross River National Park in Cross River State, the Idanre Forests and Osse River Park in Ondo State and the Andoni Island in Rivers State. (Nigerian Conservation Foundation)

Civilization

The ancient settlement of Idanre has existed on the hill since antiquity, however Western civilization was introduced to the ancient city when a team of missionaries led by Rev. Gilbert Carter arrived in the year 1894.^[16]

The missionaries built the first primary school in 1896 of which the clay building still stands strong till this day. In 1906, a law court was established. It includes an ancient prison where the convicts spend their jail term.^[17]