Zuma Rock

About this place

Zuma Rock is a huge lone monolith rising about 725 metres above sea level near the town of Madalla, on the main road from Abuja to Kaduna. It is sometimes called the Gateway to Abuja, as it is the first thing travellers from the north see. It appears on the 100-naira note and is one of Nigeria's best-known symbols, though it lies in Niger State and not the capital territory. The rock is an igneous intrusion of gabbro and granodiorite of Precambrian age. The Gbagyi people used it as a defensive retreat in old wars between tribes. Sources say the Zuba people knew it in the 15th century and called it zumwa, meaning a place of guinea fowl. From the road you see a vast grey wall streaked with dark vertical lines, its colours shifting with the sun, and mist sometimes hides the top. Green fields, scattered trees and small villages surround it. Some people see the features of a face on its side, a popular local story. It is about 30 km from central Abuja in a straight line, so you can see it easily on the road. Climbing is not set up for visitors, so enjoy it from below. Stop somewhere safe away from the heavy lorry traffic, as the road is busy. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to this state, so read the current advice before you plan.