This was true to such an extent, in fact, that the Yoruba historian Samuel Johnson reported that the Egbas - who began as an Oyo offshoot - once determined social rank within their clan by way of whether or not an Egba could trace his or her descent back to Oyo.

The city is the home of many hangout spots such as the Old Oyo National Park which contains a museum(holding artifacts from the ancient Òyó Empire) and a few animals.

The city is centrally located on the dual carriage A1 expressway from Lagos which links it from Ibadan all the way to Ilorin.

Death and the King's Horseman, a play by the Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, is based on an incident that happened in Oyo in 1946.

[3] The Palace Owner, a praise poem by Basit Ajibade is based on the prowess of Oyo kings.