A Weekend In Osun: Finding Food, Culture And Arts

Spending a weekend in Osun should be one of the must-do’s as a Nigerian, if you’re not a Nigerian, ensure you visit Osun State during your trip.
Osun state is filled lots of exciting places that just a weekend might not be enough to exhaust all the beautiful sights in Osun state.
Osun state was created in 1991 from the eastern third of Oyo state. Kwara surrounds it on the northeast, Ekiti and Ondo on the east, Ogun on the south, and Oyo on the west and northwest. Mainly the Yoruba people inhabit Osun state.
Osun is an inland state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Osogbo. Osun is home to numerous Nigeria’s most famous landmarks, including the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria’s pre-eminent institution of higher learning.
Osogbo’s attractions extend from enchanting, frozen-in-time chronological structures to elaborate trado-religious festivals. In addition, the town vaunts a great collection of art as its residents are known to be very creative. The city has produced very many internationally renowned artists; including Nike Arts, Jimoh Braimoh and others. The Osogbo arts and metal works – one of the top holiday destinations in the city – is home to artistically crafted metals.

FOOD
We cannot generalize Osogbo food, because there is not just one local cuisine but numerous and very distinct ones. Restaurants are everywhere, portions are very large and prices exceptionally affordable. There are no licensing laws, so you can get a drink around town at any time of the day or night, sounds interesting right?

WARA (Cheese curds)
Wara is one food people love! It could be eaten the way it is, boiled and fried, as part of a dish and so on.
It’s one meal you cannot afford to miss its taste when visiting Osun.

Amala/Abula
Locals in Osun are known for the love of Amala eaten with ‘Abula’ (a mix of ewedu and gbegiri). Apart from the famous ‘Garri Ijebu’, Ijebu Ode is known for its Ifokore/Ikokore (porridge made from water yam) it’s one food to try when in the area.
A visit to Ibadan is incomplete without a visit to a local canteen.
Below are a few good restaurants you should try while spending your weekend at Osun:
Finger Licking Restaurant And Bar
Country Kitchen, Ife
Forks And Fingers
Olorunwa Food Canteen
Anuoluwapo Food Canteen

CULTURE
The most spectacular annual tradition of the Osogbo’s which dates back to 600 years ago is the Osun- Oshogbo sacred Festival held in August, every year.
Every year, adherents and non-adherents travel from all over the world to attend this festival, this annual tradition is usually held along the banks of the Osun goddess river.
The festival is said to renew the contract between humans and divinity. During the festival people appease the goddess daily for two weeks with different performances such as playing drums, singing and dancing to the Osun goddess.

ART
THE BEST ATTRACTIONS IN OSUN STATE
The Sacred Grove of Osun
The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is a sacred forest along the banks of the Osun River just outside the city of Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. It is a forested area with shrines and sanctuaries honoring Osun and other deities. Regarded as the abode of the goddess of fertility Osun, one of the pantheons of Yoruba gods, the landscape of the grove and its meandering river is spotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and art works in honor of Osun and other deities.
The sacred grove, which is now seen as a symbol of identity for all Yoruba people, is probably the last in Yoruba culture. It is the largest and perhaps the only remaining example of a once extensive occurrence that used to characterize every Yoruba settlement.
In recognition of its global impact and its cultural value, the Sacred Grove was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

Museum of Arts
One of the best art museums in Nigeria concerning its relevance to the Yoruba cultural heritage is the Osogbo Museum of Art’s which showcases the creative values of its people with mediums ranging from calabash and wood carving, metal work, cloth weaving, tie-dye e.t.c.
Suzanne Wenger House and Centre
Initially inhabited by Suzanne Wenger – an Australian artist who later became a Yoruba priestess, popularly called Adunni Olorisa and one of the people that designed some of the art edifice found in Osun groove.
This center is covered with interwoven human and animal form and stands a reflection of Brazilian style building that shows some phases of Nigerian architectural history. The center has more than 400 works of art within the building, and a shop that exhibits as well as sells great pieces by some of the town’s leading curators, past and present.

TOURISM
Tourist centers abound across the State. Some of the popular ones are:
Nike Art Center
Erin Ijesha Waterfall
Osogbo Arts And Metal Works
Obafemi Awolowo University
Ooni Of Ife Palace
Obatala Center For Creative Arts
Moremi Statue of Liberty

Others include:
Osun Osogbo Shrine( Which Is The Venue Of The Internationally Recognized Osun Osogbo Festival).
The Mbari-Mbayo Cultural Heritage
Idi-Baba Cultural Centre
Igbo-Sango At Ede
Ayikunugba Water-Falls At Oke-Ila.

SHOPPING
Main shops and markets stay open until quite late in the evening. The well-known Juju Market specializes in art, ceramics, soapstone carvings, musical instruments and numerous traditional accessories.
There are three other ultra modern markets: Ayegbaju and Aje international markets. For tourists who do not want to explore the local markets, shopping centers and malls are located around town, including Mayfair shopping center and Brainfield shopping malls. Credit cards are accepted in certain malls and haggling is normally accepted for cash purchases.
Spending a weekend in the beautiful city of Osun is a wholesome experience that would always create a lasting memory as well as serve as an insight into the culture of the Osun.