THE MAGNIFICENT ZUMA ROCK.- Basic things you need to know.

The magnificent Zuma rock stands tall and conferring on the scenery the gift of its presence. It is located between Abuja and Niger State.

Visitors and tourists to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, cannot miss  Zuma Rock, which about 725 meters tall above its surroundings, 3.1 kilometers in circumference and stands at 623 feet, is one of the wonders of the city.

Originally located in Niger State, North of Abuja, along the expressway from Abuja to Kaduna, the monolith is breathtaking. First time visitors, cannot but pause at the foot of this massive rock to appreciate the wonder of nature.

A close look, reveals a sort of human face, looking whitish on the outside. This only adds to the myth of the rock. To most people, especially indigenes, it tells of the mysterious powers, surrounding the rock. This belief seems re-enforced by the story that the strange powers attached to Zuma Rock are responsible for the abandoned proposed five-star hotel that has become a shadow of itself, and now lying fallow, desolate and overtaken by bushes.

The history of Zuma rock is older than the history of Zuba and the Koros that settled around the Zuma rock. It had been known that by the 15th century the Kwararafa (Kororofa) had started to spread all over the northern areas of Nigeria. We, the people of Zuba today were part of the Kwararafa that are called or identified today as Koro.

It was well known that the physical boundary of FCT dissected the Zuma-Rock, where we have the larger part falling into Niger State while the smaller part into FCT, geographically it is in-between Niger State and FCT. Traditionally, Zuma-Rock remains for the Koros led by the Agora of Zuba and all other Koros in FCT, Niger and others states know that really the Zuma-Rock is under the Agora of Zuba.The top of the Zuma rock catches fire during the raining season.

source: punchng