The Idanre hills in Ondo State

The Idanre hills in Ondo State was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on October 8, 2007.

It is well-known for its landscape. Its wide variety on cultural sites as 'Owa's Palace', shrines, The Old Court, Belfry, Agbooogun 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. It resides 3000 ft (914.4meters) above sea level and houses a unique ecosystem upon which the cultural landscape has Integrated.

Idanre Hills is located on a Precambrian igneous batholith that is about 500 Million years old, and is cut by several large fracture that form deep valleys within the rocks

The Idanre Hills or Oke Idanre is an ancient settlement that thrived on the hills until the introduction of western civilisation by a group of missionaries led by Rev. Gilbert Carter.

According to oral history, Idanre Hills was supposedly founded by Olofin Aremitan said to be the younger brother of Oduduwa the founder of Yoruba tribes in Nigeria. After Oduduwa’s death the tussle for power that saw Oduduwa’s son victorious led to the migration of Olofin and his followers to Utaja, close to the foot of Idanre hills.

After Olofin’s death, Agboogun became King and sought to protect his people from invasion, so he made a decision to migrate them from the foot of the hills to Oke-idanre (the top of the hills) thus beginning the start of the now abandoned ancient civilisation on Idanre Hills.

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