Ife << EE fay >> was an important Black African city-state founded around 950 by the Yoruba people of West Africa. Ife reached the height of its power about 1300. Scholars believe Ife prospered by controlling much of the slave, gold, and ivory trade along the lower Niger River. In the early 1500’s, Ife began to decline as trade shifted from inland routes to the coast. Ife culture is known for its outstanding sculptures of terra cotta (baked clay) and brass, most of which date from the 1100’s to the 1400’s.
Today, Ife is a city in southwestern Nigeria. The Yoruba view the city as a holy place and believe it was the creation point of the universe.
