3 historic destinations you should be culturally conscious of

kehinde omotosho

May 31, 2017 10:53 AM

While you are allowed to visit any tourist attraction in Nigeria, there are some of them you have to be culturally conscious before you can visit.

Oba of Benin palace

Nigeria is a country that is very rich in cultural tourism and there are many historical sites to visit.

While you are allowed to visit many of these destinations, there are some of them you have to be culturally conscious before you can visit. This means there are cultural rules on the ground you have to respect/follow. Here are three of such destinations.

1. Oba of Benin’s Palace

Ordinarily, the Oba of Benin is a traditional institution that is highly respected in Nigeria. It is located at the heart of the ancient City of Benin. Some of the things you should never do at the palace include: finger pointing; you must not whistle; you must not open an umbrella during festivals and you must never adorn black attire.

2. Idanre Hills

Located in the quiet town of Idanre local government of Ondo state is Idanre hills. To get to the peak of the hill, you have to negotiate 667 steps and there are 5 spots for tourist to rest. The hills provided protection against marauding enemies in the past. Amongst the hills, one stands out which is the Agbagba Hill.

This is very popular because of the Agboogun footprints. Whether you are an adult or a youth, your foot should fit in because the Agboogun footprints mysteriously expand and contract to accommodate any foot. The cultural rule here is that if your foot doesn’t fit in, you are branded a wizard or witch. In addition, there is the house of the Chief Priest where you can’t go in with clothes. If you are so bent on going in, you have to go in naked.

3. Ogbunike Cave

Ogbunike cave is located in Oyi local government area of Anambra state in Eastern Nigeria. The main cave consists of a massive structure with a big open chamber at the entrance. There are ten tunnels at the main chamber leading to different directions with streams and body of water at various places. The caves house a large colony of bats of various sizes.

The cultural rules are displayed on a sign at the entrance which reads: remove your shoes before entering the cave, ladies under period banned and herbalist or spiritual ceremony in the cave is banned.

kehinde omotosho