This shrine is a burial ground for kings of towns and villages throughout the Yoruba kingdom. The Ooni of Ife is not buried here as the direct descendant of Oduduwa. In the past whenever a king of any Yoruba land died, the head was severed and brought to this shrine while the body was buried in the home state. This cultural practice signified that Ile-ife is the home of all Yoruba and a new king can only be crowned after the head of the previous king has been taken to the shrine in ile-ife.
Nowadays, this practice has stopped and animals are used in the shrine for the authorization and sacrifices needed to crown a new king in any part of Yorubaland.
