OLUMO ROCK IS A ROCK BUILD UP OF GRANTIE THAT HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR THOUSANDSOF YEARS. IT IS SITUATED AT ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE NIGERIA?THE TOWN 'ABEOKUTA' MEANING 'UNDER THE ROCK' WAS NAMED BECAUSE OF THE OLUMO ROCK WHICH HAS DEEPER MEANING.
ACCORDING TO HISTORY BOOKS, OLUMO ROCK ONCE SERVED AS A SANCTUARY AND FORTRESS TO THE EGBA PEOPLE IN THE 1800s.( I MIGHT WRITE ABOUT THE EGBA PEOPLE AND THE OYO EMPIRE IN MY NEXT POST).
THE OLUMO ROCK HAS A HEIGHT OF 137M ABOVE SEA LEVEL, THE HIGHT MAKES IT EASIER TO CLIMB, THERE ARE INFACT MAN MADE STAIRS CARVED INTO THE ROCKS, MAKING THE CLIMBING FAIRLY EASY FOR LESS FIT TOURIST. THERE IS ALSO AN ELEVATOR FOR THOSE WHO DONT WANT TO DO ANY CLIMBING. ONCE U REACH THE TOP OF THE SUMMIT, THE VEIW FROM THERE IS BREATH TAKING AND CAPTIVATING AS YOU CAN SEE THE CENTRAL MOSQUE OF ABEOKUTA, THE RIVER OGUN FIRST CHURCH OF NIGERIA, AND ALSO THE FAMILY HOUSE OF THE LEGENDARY MOSHOOD ABIOLA.
SOME MYSTERIES OF THE OLUMO ROCK
ACCORDING TO SOURCES, THERE USED TO LIVE AN OLD WOMAN WHO RESIDES AT THE OLUMO WHO IS SAID TO HAVE LIVED FROM THE TIME WHEN THE EGBA LAND WAS PART OF THE OYO EMPIRE(1800s), ANYONE WHO GOES TO PAY HOMAGE TO HER GETS HER BLESSING.
THERE ALSO USED TO BE A TRADITION OF USING A FEMALE VIRGIN AS THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN THE TRADITION WAS BANNED, ANIMALS LIKE CHICKEN AND OTHER DOMESTIC LIVESTOCKS ARE USED INSTEAD.
THERE IS A CERTAIN PART OF THE ROCK IN WHICH WATER DRIPS. THE WATER IS BELIEVED TO BRING GOOD FORTUNE IF USED.
ISN'T OLUMO ROCK A LOVELY PLACE TO VISIT?!!
