Photo: Alaafin of Oyo Oba Siyanbola Ladigbolu I, inside the expanse palace of the ancient palace of the Alaafin of Oyo now in Nigeria. By Robert Smith:The Alaafin of Oyo has ruled from three distinct capitals throughout history. The first, Oyo-Ile (literally, "Home Oyo"), was the original seat of power. It was also known as Oyo-Oro ("Oyo of the Ghosts"), named after the treacherous terrain where Oranyan’s horse famously stumbled—a site later called Katunga by the Hausa. The second capital, Igboho, provided refuge for four Alaafins who fled due to conflicts with the Nupe and Borgu. Finally, in New Oyo (Ago d’Oyo), the Alaafin reestablished his throne in 1837 after Oyo-Ile was destroyed by the Ilorin forces. Although only these three bear the name "Oyo," tradition holds that the Oyo people settled in sixteen different locations after dispersing from Ile-Ife, their ancestral homeland. Two of these settlements existed before Oyo-Ile became the capital, while others were temporary refuges during times of crisis. The known sites span roughly 50 to 160 miles north and northwest of Ile-Ife, reaching from the coastal forest fringes into the semi-savannah along the western and southern banks of the Niger bend.