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Ilê Axé Opó Afonjá

Salvador, BR

Ilê Axé Opó Afonjá

Ilê Axé Opó Afonjá, also known as Centro Santa Cruz Axé of Opó Afonjá or Casa de Xangô, is a Candomblé terreiro in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It was founded by Eugênia Anna Santos (1869-1938), better known as Mãe Aninha, in 1910. The terreiro is located in the Cabula neighborhood on Rua de São Gonçalo

do Retiro. Ilê Axé Opó Afonjá was the second Afro-Brazilian religious place of worship to receive heritage status from the Brazilian National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN). Ilê Axé Opó Afonjá was formed in 1910 by a group that separated from Ilê Axé Iyá Nassô Oká, or the Casa Branca do Engenho Velho. It is one of the primary temples of the Ketu sect of Candomblé. A terreiro of the same name was founded by Mãe Aninha in Rio de Janeiro. In 1967 the Terreiro was visited by Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir who were invited by Jorge Amado and Zélia Gattai.

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