ɪt wʌz fˈaʊndᵻd ɪn sˈiː.wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd tˈuːhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti baɪ ˈoʊɐlˌuːs, ɐ ɡɹˈændsʌn ʌv ˈædʒɪbˌɑːɡʌn ædʒˈɑːkə ˈoʊə ˈɑːboʊkˌʌn ˈɑːnɪdə æɹˈɑːɹɹə, wˈʌn ʌvðə mˈoʊst ɐkˈɑːmplɪʃt ɡɹˈeɪtɡɹˈændsʌnz ʌv ˈoʊdʒuːdʒˌuːwə, ðə ɹˈɔɪəl pɹoʊdʒˈɛnɪɾɚɹ ʌvðə joːɹˈuːbɚ ɹˈeɪs ʌv sˈaʊθwˈɛstɚn naɪdʒˈiəɹɪə, bˈɛnɪn ɹᵻpˈʌblɪk ænd tˈoʊɡoʊ.
It was founded in c.1250 by Owaluse, a grandson of Ajibogun Ajaka Owa Obokun Onida Arara, one of the most accomplished great-grandsons of Oduduwa, the royal progenitor of the Yoruba race of South-Western Nigeria, Benin Republic and Togo.