Osogbo
A Yoruba town on the Osun river, known for the sacred forest on its edge where shrines and modern sculpture stand among the trees.
- Arrival
- Ilorin International · ILR
- To the city
- About 75 km south of Ilorin airport in a straight line
- Private jets
- Ilorin, with customs; daylight hours
- Best time
- November to March
The city
The grove of the river goddess.
Osogbo is the capital of Osun State, some 250 kilometres inland from Lagos. On its outskirts the Osun river runs through 75 hectares of forest given over to the goddess Osun: forty shrines, two palaces and dozens of sculptures, much of it made in the forty years before the grove was listed in 2005, by Susanne Wenger, an Austrian artist who settled here, and the New Sacred Art movement she worked with.
Each July and August a procession lasting twelve days goes down to the river for the Osun-Osogbo festival, in the rains. For the drier weather come between November and March, when the afternoons run from 33 to 35 °C.
- Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove On the UNESCO list since 2005: five sacred places and nine points of worship on the riverbank.
- The Osun-Osogbo festival Twelve days of processions in July and August that renew the town's bond with the goddess.
- Oja Oba The market by the Grand Mosque, in a building said to have been a palace of the Oba.
Arriving
Through Ilorin or Lagos.
Osogbo has a small airfield with no airline service, and the state airport planned at Ido-Osun has stalled. The usual way in is Ilorin, about 75 kilometres to the north, or Lagos, around 190 kilometres to the southwest, both followed by the road.
- Accra 1 h 05
- Abidjan 1 h 35
- Kigali 4 h 15
- Amsterdam 6 h 45 long-range jet
- Dubai 7 h 40 long-range jet
When to go
November to March.
February is the hottest month, at 35 °C. From November to March rain stays below 100 mm a month; April opens a long wet season that peaks in September and October with over 200 mm.
- 34° J 6
- 35° F 26
- 35° M 80
- 33° A 113
- 32° M 166
- 30° J 190
- 28° J 185
- 28° A 129
- 29° S 228
- 30° O 208
- 33° N 38
- 34° D 11
Flying to Osogbo?
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