Ado Awaye is relatively a bubbling small town surrounded by hills and lush vegetation in Iseyin local government area of Oyo State, Nigeria.
It houses one of the only two suspended lakes in the world after the Hanging Lake in Colorado, USA.
The Iyake Lake settles at the top of a mountain called Ado Awaye. This lake never dries even in dry seasons, and the water level remains the same in raining seasons.
The Iyake
Lake was discovered around 1500AD by the Dihormy refugees who are now head of the kingmakers for Alado of Ado Awaye chieftaincy. The Oba says there are myths surrounding the Iyake Suspended Lake and Ado Awaye Mountain
One of the myths is that Iyake Lake was a barren woman who turned into water. It is also believed that when you have spiritual problems and consult the lake it provides solution
s.
According to the tour guide, the lake is bottomless and no one is allowed to swim or go into it. Till today, whoever enters the lake never comes out of it. It is said to be the main god of fertility of the Mountain.
The Ado Awaye Mountain serves as a heritage and center of unity for all and sundry. The people celebrate Oodua festival at the site on a yearly basis.
The villagers believe that beneath the lake exists another world that looks like th
e earth, and whoever transits into that world by diving into the lake will never be able to return to our own world again.
