Zuma Rock is a gigantic boulder that rises more than 700 meters (about 2,000) feet high, located near Suleja town in Niger State about 40 kilometers out of the capital, Abuja, on the highway to the northern city of Kaduna. It’s located in a region that was under Jukun (Kwararafa) hegemony by the 15th century and was used as a defensive fortress by the Gbagyi people who lived in the area.

 

In old and new times its sheer size and powerful presence was always a huge draw for people, with spiritual powers associated with it by me. Many often see what looks like abstract depiction of faces on its sides. It was a choice place of sacrifice for many who lived in the district and elaborate traditional and religious rituals have been developed by local people who deify Zuma Rock.
Though the image is popular in Nigerian tourist books and even, appears on the 100 naira currency note, nothing compares with being in the humbling presence of the Zuma Rock.

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