Overview
The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove lies on the edge of Osogbo in Osun State, in the South West zone. It is a forest along the Osun River containing shrines, sculpture and ritual spaces dedicated to Osun, and it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2005.
History
The grove is understood in Yoruba tradition to be bound to the founding of Osogbo, through an agreement between the town's early settlers and the goddess of the river. It has remained an active place of worship, and its shrines are maintained by priests and priestesses of Osun. From the 1950s the Austrian-born artist Susanne Wenger, working with local artists and craftsmen, restored shrines and added large sculptural works in cement and iron, which reshaped the grove's appearance while its ritual use continued. It was protected as a national monument before its World Heritage inscription.
What to expect
The grove is mature forest, unusual in a region where little high forest remains, crossed by paths and by the river, with sculpture and shrine buildings among the trees. Visitors are received by grove staff and guides. Parts of the grove are set aside for worship, and some practices and knowledge belong to initiates and are not open to visitors; this page describes the site's significance and does not set out restricted material. Respect for instructions on the ground, and checking current visitor arrangements in advance, matter more here than at most sites.
Connected history or culture
The grove is the setting for the annual Osun Osogbo festival, when the town processes to the river; the religious tradition behind it is described in Ifa divination and on the Yoruba page.