Bishoftu

Bishoftu (Oromo: Bishooftuu; Amharic: ቢሾፍቱ) is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the East Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, it sits at an elevation of 1,920 metres (6,300 ft). It was formerly known as Debre Zeyit (Amharic: ደብረ ዘይት, lit. 'Mount of Olives'). However, since the late 1990s, it has been officially known by the Oromo name, Bishoftu from bishaanooftuu (which translates to "watery"),[3][4] which was its name until 1955.[5] The town serves as the primary airbase of the Ethiopian Air Force. Bishoftu is located 47.9 kilometres (29.8 mi) southeast of Addis Ababa along its route 4 highway.[6] It is a resort town, known for its several lakes. The town is located within the Bishoftu volcanic field, an area of Holocene lava flows, cinder cones, tuff rings and maars. Several of the maars are water-filled,[7] forming five crater lakes: Lake Bishoftu, Lake Hora (a base for watersports, many water birds and an annual festival), Lake Bishoftu Guda, Lake Koriftu and the seasonal Lake Cheleklaka. Other nearby points of interest include Mount Yerer, Green Crater Lake and Lake Hora Kiloli. Bishoftu is also home to the Ethiopian Air Force and the Harar Meda Airport (ICAO HAHM, IATA QHR), as well as a station on the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway.