The Hidden Treasure at the Mountain's Shoulder
This place is the work area of many endeavours; Entoto's High Plateau, where it appears among adorable Juniper hills and dreamlike meadows. Ultimately, this landscape of forgotten dreams reveals its southern border in Bees' Cliff's abyss (14). Here, it shows very soon the beautiful path (42) to Entoto Natural Park (Nursery) 34, where massive work has elapsed with nature restoration for many years.
Geographical Situation
Addis Ababa is situated 9° north of the equator in central Ethiopia. There is a splendid outlook over the sprawling city and the five high solitary mountains from several spots, with a propagating view from the southwest to the southeast (Menagesha, Wachecha, Furi Zukuala and Yerer). On the mountain massif of Entoto, the Park area extends from the northern edge of the city at an altitude of 2 600m and further north over the mountain crest above 3,000 m.
Mount Entoto's Ridge and High Plateau
Facing north from the top ridge, one looks out over vast plains towards Sululta and some bare mountains. The mountain crest on which the Park is located forms a big water divider. The northern slope drains into the Blue Nile and the precipitation from the southern slope will end up in the Awash River. This has the curious result that two raindrops falling at the same time just a few centimetres apart will have quite different destinies: one will, after a long journey, reach the Mediterranean Sea, whereas the other will pass through the city of Addis Ababa, eventually evaporating in the Danakil Desert, as the Awash River never reaches the sea.
Entoto Natural Park is United with the Capital's Highland.
The initial part of the Park adjoins Addis Ababa's northern outskirts, in the district known as Shero Meda (Shiromeda). Coming from the central parts of the city, Entoto Avenue leads up to the school of Kuskuam in the north of Shero Meda and further along the border of the Park to the Church of Entoto Maryam (Håkan Blanck and Pia Englund, Entoto Natural Park 1995).
