Where is the dead sea lake. The Dead Sea is the saltiest body of water on the map

Few bodies of water have such significant historical, geographical and religious significance as the Dead Sea. The culture of the ancient Egyptians, Jewish and Islamic traditions also contributed to the fact that the Dead Sea has become popular. it unique place for wellness and spa treatments, and tourists like to spend time on the beach. Offers some exciting facts about the Dead Sea.

It is called "dead" because of its high salinity.

The high salt level does not allow fish, plants and generally large organisms to live in the Dead Sea. Hence its name. However, bacteria were found in the craters at the bottom.

In fact, it's not the sea.

It is called the Dead Sea, but in fact it is a large salt lake into which the Jordan River flows. Its water does not flow into other lakes, seas or oceans.

Its salinity is 9.6 times that of the ocean

Speaking about the salinity of the Dead Sea, we can say that against its background, all the salt of the ocean looks like a drop in a bucket of water. Despite the fact that the Jordan River flows into it, this water has nowhere to go. It just evaporates, which only increases salinity.

This is the lowest place on earth

The Dead Sea is 420 meters below sea level. This is the lowest place on land.

It has a unique climate

Surrounded by an arid and desert landscape, the Dead Sea has about 330 sunny days in a year. It has low humidity and low rainfall. During the year the temperature fluctuates from +15 to +37°С. But unique is the fact that this is the only place on earth where you can sunbathe for long periods of time without getting sunburned!

High salinity allows people to simply relax on the water

Unlike the fact that you can lie on this water, you cannot swim in it. It's like being constantly pinned down by an air mattress.

This is the deepest salt lake on earth.

The lowest point of the Dead Sea is at a depth of 701 meters, making it the deepest salt lake on Earth.

The ancient Egyptians used it to embalm mummies.

The Egyptians had very specific and unique burial rituals. They turned the dead into mummies. One of the substances used for this was asphalt, which was used to embalm the deceased before being wrapped in bandages. The Dead Sea provided the Egyptians with natural asphalt, so they often visited here. By the way, until the end of the 19th century, the sea was called ... Asphalt!

There is a prophecy that it will be bland

Herod the Great, who ruled Israel in 40 BC, built a fortress on top of Masada near the Dead Sea. He used it as a resort. It was there that he went when it became dangerous.

This is where King David took refuge.

In 1947, a shepherd made the most significant archaeological find of the 20th century, the Qumran manuscripts (Dead Sea Scrolls). There were well-preserved biblical and non-biblical manuscripts that helped to change historical views on religion.

It's drying up at an alarming rate.

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Beach

In fact, the Dead Sea is not a sea at all, but a large inland lake that is fed by the waters of the Jordan River, which flows into it. northern part. The Dead Sea is 67 km long and 18 km wide (at widest point); the border between Israel and Jordan bisects it almost exactly.

During its existence, the Dead Sea has had many names. The Jews gave him the names of Steppe, Salty and East Sea. The Greeks called it Asphalt Lake, as they said that pieces of black bitumen were found in it. The Nabateans sold natural asphalt for a lot of money, mainly to the Egyptians, who used it to mummify the dead. The Crusaders called this sea the Dead Sea, and the medieval Muslims called it differently: the Fetid Lake, the Lake of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Inverted Lake.

Dead Sea Salt

Holidays at the Dead Sea

On the coast of the Dead Sea, a complex for vacationers has been created, consisting of hotels, hotels, health resorts, clinics and spas. Those who have visited at least once a resort by the Dead Sea leave only best reviews. It's no secret that the level of medicine in Israel is at a very high level, so the quality of medical procedures will appeal to every guest of the country. After a holiday at the Dead Sea human body cleanses, stimulates blood circulation and metabolism, and improves the overall condition of the skin. Dirt, climatic features, fresh air, useful minerals - these are the components of the sea that make it a miraculous source of healing from many diseases. Despite the fact that the Dead Sea is not a beach resort, there are a lot of vacationers here.

A fun swim on the surface of the Dead Sea is a must when visiting this region. The most popular (and therefore crowded)- Ein Gedi beach, attracting crowds of noisy youth with loud music and bonfires, who occupy campsites and restrooms (entrance to the beach is free). Ein Bokek also has a gorgeous but crowded Hordus Hotel beach that is easy to get to and pretty. sand beach. If you don't come to high season and not on weekends, it's much freer here (and also free). At the northern end of the sea there are more beaches, including the Biankini and Siesta hotels, and opposite Qumran is the very beautiful beach of the Mineral Hotel.

Swimming itself - or rather, lying on the surface of the water - in the Dead Sea leaves an unforgettable impression, but it is more difficult to do this than it seems at first glance. Swim in the water with high density almost impossible, but we will give you some advice. To move forward, you'll have to make funny moves, dodging and pushing, spinning around its axis, like some kind of water strider beetle moving on the surface of the water. Since the salt content in the water here is about 10 times higher than in the Mediterranean Sea, once on the body, the water makes it slippery and oily. The fish brought here by the current along the Jordan River die in the very first minutes, hitting the Dead Sea - they are found thrown ashore, dried up and hardened like a stone. It is necessary to ensure that extremely salty water does not get into the eyes - it can be painful and dangerous. If this happens, rinse your eyes immediately fresh water. When salt hits the skin, any small scratch, and therefore with serious cuts or wounds, it is better not to enter the water.

However, these warnings should not scare you. it inexpressible feeling- float like a cork on the surface of healing waters, surrounded by the harsh beauty of the Judean Desert, saturated with ancient and biblical history, at the lowest point on earth's land.

In Israel, every traveler can find accommodation based on their financial opportunities and preferences. For lovers of luxury, exquisite apartments with the highest level are suitable. after-sales service, as well as beautiful view on the sea, jacuzzi, sunbathing area, spa, tennis court, gym, fountains and pools on the territory of the complex. For those whose budget is limited, there are more modest but cozy hotels with a standard list of services. It is difficult to name the average cost of a hotel room, since the choice depends on many factors.

Israel offers tourists hotels for every taste and budget

Remarkably, the air over the Dead Sea contains more oxygen than anywhere else. This contributes to the creation of the effect of being in a natural pressure chamber.

It is worth noting the usefulness of thermal springs located along the perimeter of the shores of the Dead Sea. Bathing in such a spring will help activate circulatory system and will contribute to the fact that oxygen will begin to saturate all the organs and tissues of your body.

Many people come to the Dead Sea to treat various skin diseases, nervous system, diseases associated with the endocrine system, as well as many other diseases.

One of the most unusual features of the Dead Sea is that its water is oily to the touch. The fact is that its water is not just salty: it is a rich mixture of minerals in which it is impossible to drown and which has healing properties. For many centuries, since the time of King Herod, who built a palace on the shores of the Dead Sea, people have been coming to this region, attracted by the healing properties of an unusual reservoir. AT last years Numerous sanatoriums, clinics and luxury hotels appeared in the small resort of Ein Bokek, turning this place into a flourishing tourist center. However, for the treatment of many diseases, such as skin and respiratory, not only the water of the Dead Sea is useful. No pollen, warm and dry climate, low radiation levels, high Atmosphere pressure, the mineral-rich mud found on the coast, all contribute to modern and extraordinarily successful treatments.

The consequence of this fashion was the massive export of Dead Sea products for use in the cosmetics industry. Creams and lotions using medicinal properties Dead Sea minerals from companies such as Ahava are offered in shopping malls and pharmacies in hundreds of countries around the world.

However, there is a price to be paid for the extraction of healing minerals, and this price is visible at the southern end of the Dead Sea, where the evaporation pools of the Dead Sea Salt Works company were installed. But the beauty industry is not to blame, as the company mines a variety of minerals, including potash, bromine, caustic soda and magnesium, for other industries.

Death of the Dead Sea

Now the sea level is dropping by 1 m every year. Since the 1950s, it has fallen by 250 m - an alarming figure. There are several reasons for this, the main of which is the depletion of the freshwater resources of the rivers flowing into the Dead Sea. The Jordan River is now only a small stream when it flows into the sea, as it is blocked by dams built during various irrigation projects. The surface area of ​​the sea in the 1950s was 1000 km², but now it has shrunk to 700 km². Another important factor is the extraction of potash and minerals from the shallows of the southern tip of the sea, during which both Jordan and Israel evaporate water for their needs.

If the process continues at this rate, the sea will completely dry up in 50 years. Action is urgently needed to prevent this. The authorities of Jordan and Israel, interested in solving the problem, agreed in 2002 to build a canal from the Red Sea (Gulf of Aqaba) to the Dead with a length of 250 km. A 400-meter difference in height will make it possible to build a hydroelectric power station here, as well as desalination plants that will supply both states with precious fresh water. However, the project fell victim political situation and hung in an indeterminate state, as did the peace talks.

Keep Unique natural object- task of the state scale

Trip to the Dead Sea from Jordan

Most tourists who come to Jordan consider it their duty to stop by the Dead Sea and perform a bathing ritual.

On the way from Amman, you will first pass through the town of Naur, where Sultan Abdul Hamid settled a large number of Circassians. Leaving Naur, you will appreciate the "lunar" landscapes that you will pass by - the road will constantly go down to the lowest point on the earth's surface - 408 m below sea level.

From Amman to the Dead Sea is only 50 km, so a trip there is an easy half-day excursion. The trip itself takes one and a half hours. There are signs all along the road south of Amman to the airport and on to Naur.

I dedicate today's article to the world-famous salt lake called the Dead Sea. Here are our reviews detailed map, a graph of changes in water temperature by months, the rules of safe swimming. Since we saw this lake from different sides, the article presents many photo of the Dead seas in Israel and Jordan.

12 facts about the Dead Sea

✔ The Dead Sea is an endorheic salt lake.

✔ The Dead Sea is also called the Asphalt Sea, the Sodom Sea, the Sea of ​​Salt.

✔ The Dead Sea is located in the territories of Israel, Jordan and the West Bank of the Jordan River.

Dead Sea on the map of Israel, the West Bank and Jordan

✔ The lake is 67 km long and 18 km wide.

Wow such a width

✔ The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest lakes in the world. The salinity level fluctuates around 300‰. Due to the dissolved salts, the density of water is so high that it does not allow the body to sink into the water. So the dog Mu-mu could live here happily ever after.

humanoid bobber

✔ Due to the high concentration of salt in the lake, living beings and plants cannot live. The exception is some types of special microorganisms (viruses, bacteria and fungi), which can only be detected under a microscope. Therefore, the lake is called the Dead Sea.

✔ The Dead Sea is as many as 3 lakes: the northern one is located between Israel and Jordan, the southwestern one is in Israel and the southeastern one is in Jordan. Once they were all a single body of water, but due to a catastrophic drop in the water level and, as a result, drying up, there were three of them.

The Dead Sea on a satellite map looks like this

✔ On the shores of the Dead Sea is the lowest land point on our planet. According to measurements, it is located at an altitude of -430 m relative to sea level. This indicator is constantly changing for the reason indicated in the previous fact. On the way to the sea from Jerusalem, you can see a sign of the level of the world ocean, and then a large inscription with a mark of -300 m. With the help of me mobile application maps.me on south lake a point of -368 m was recorded.

✔ Sunbathing on the shores of the Dead Sea is almost impossible to get burned due to the special microclimate formed in this place.

Shta!? Sun cream? No, have not heard!

✔ The healthiness of this unique place just rolls over. The water of the Dead Sea contains a huge amount of minerals: chlorides of magnesium, sodium, calcium, potassium, bromides and others. The lake has no equal in its mineralogical composition. But not only water has turned the Dead Sea coast into a global health resort. There are also natural healing muds here. Due to its location below the level of the world's oceans, the atmospheric pressure is higher on the coast, respectively, the air is more saturated with oxygen. People come here to treat skin diseases, ailments of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system.

SPA in hotels on the Dead Sea

✔ Swimming in the Dead Sea can be harmful for some people.

Damage to the Dead Sea

✔ For industrial purposes, salt strips were formed on the southern lakes of the Dead Sea, a walk along which is a great pleasure. 🙂

Bliss!

Dead Sea - reviews

Reviews about the Dead Sea, which I heard before, were very contradictory. Some of them were not the most flattering. Yes, and the photos of the Dead Sea from friends who saw me off didn’t particularly catch me. So we didn't have any expectations when we set out on a trip along this lake. And, to be honest, the first views of the Dead Sea were as nondescript as in the photo of friends. It was in the evening on the beaches from Jerusalem.

After that, in the dark, we got to. How impressive was the view of the Dead Sea when in the morning we climbed to the roof of the hotel. It was something!

Beauties!

Swimming in the turquoise water made us fall in love with the Dead Sea even more!

The beach where we swam

Then there were magnificent views that opened up on the way to the Masada fortress.

Masada fortress - a symbol of courage in Israel against the backdrop of the Dead Sea

If you are planning, be sure to read the guide article with prices at the link.

A little later we went to. First and here we saw the shore of the Dead Sea, not in the best light.

And having driven to the northern lake, we stopped at one of the shores, from where bizarre salt formations were visible.

Beautiful shore of the Dead Sea from Jordan
Bizarre salt deposits

This is how our reviews of the Dead Sea turned out, or rather, about its beauty.

Dead Sea on the map of Israel and Jordan

By tradition, I prepared a map of the Dead Sea with resorts, beaches and hotels.

Dead Sea map in Israel:

Map of the Dead Sea in Jordan:

Swimming in the Dead Sea should be done with great care. It is not recommended to swim in the lake for more than 20 minutes. It is advisable not to lie in the water on your stomach in order to minimize the likelihood of water getting into your eyes and mouth. Despite healing properties lakes for the skin and joints, it is strictly forbidden to drink water.

You can swim in the Dead Sea all year round, however, you should know that in winter the water in the lake is far from warm. The coldest months are January-March (22-23˚C). In summer, the temperature of the Dead Sea can reach 34˚C, which may also not be very pleasant, given the general heat. Most warm months- July-September (33-34˚C). During the rest of the year the temperature waters of the dead the sea is quite comfortable.

Dead Sea water temperature monthly

Dead Sea - Israel + photo

On the opposite bank, in Jordan, is a bromine plant

Dead Sea - Jordan + photo

And this section presents photos of the Dead Sea from Jordan.

Pillar of Salt - Lot's wife

Ruins of Mukavir

This concludes my photo post about the Dead Sea. I hope you find our lake reviews and map useful on your trip. And in the following articles I will talk in detail about the beaches and resorts of the Dead Sea.

Marina and Konstantin Samorosenko

Everyone knows that in Israel and Jordan there is such a natural phenomenon which is called the "Dead Sea". The salts and minerals of the Dead Sea are widely used in medicinal preparations, which is why it has gained such immense popularity.

Most people who have visited the Dead Sea do not know anything about its origin. Just a few kilometers from the Dead Sea, there were many exciting historical events. Once at the Dead Sea, you can plunge into the past 4000 years ago, in the days of the Bible.

History of the Dead Sea According to Biblical Legend

According to one of the biblical stories, Abraham had a nephew named Lote. A few minutes before the destruction of the cities of sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, the angels took Lot and his family out of Sodom and ordered them to leave and in no case look back. Lot's wife disobeyed and looked back to see how the city was being destroyed. As a punishment for her disobedience, she turned into a pillar of salt. And at that very moment the lake, on the banks of which the city of Sodom stood, became the most salty in the world.

History of the Dead Sea According to Science

According to a scientific point of view, millions of years ago, a fault occurred at the place where the Dead Sea is now located. earth's crust and began to fill with salt sea ​​water. This is how the Dead Sea was formed.

The concentration of salt in the Dead Sea is 270 grams per liter of water, unlike other salt water bodies, where the salt concentration does not exceed 35 grams per liter of water.

Why is the sea called "Dead"

A huge amount of sodium chloride greatly increases the density of water. According to the laws of physics, a person is pushed out of the water, which makes it simply impossible to drown in the Dead Sea.

This reservoir received the name of the Dead Sea due to the fact that only rare species microorganisms. The fish that enter here die instantly, they don't even have time to feel the pain.

Why is there so much salt in this sea?

The fact is that the rivers and reservoirs that fall into the Dead Sea can no longer leave its limits, but begin to evaporate. Salt does not evaporate, but remains in the sea. Over time, it becomes more and more, and the sea itself gradually decreases in size, as going strong evaporation.

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The Dead Sea is one of the four seas that border Israel. Thousands of tourists come here year after year to be healed of many diseases. The air of the coast is saturated with bromine, it calms the nervous system. The concentration of salt in the Dead Sea is incredibly high - it is impossible to drown here. The healing mud of the Dead Sea is widely used in cosmetology.

Holidays in the Dead Sea resorts are especially liked by the elderly, many of whom note an incredible surge of strength after swimming and relaxing on salt beaches.

Climate and weather in the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea region is influenced by the desert climate. This means that the difference between day and night temperatures is significant - the difference can be up to 15 ° C. This is a very sunny year-round resort, where a record low amount of rain falls in a year. The number of sunny days per year exceeds 330.

November to April average temperature air in the Dead Sea resorts is 22-29 °C. In summer, the air warms up from 32 to 37 °C, and in July the thermometer reaches 40 °C. The water temperature in the Dead Sea does not fall below 25°C, and in August it warms up to 34°C.

Tours to the Dead Sea

Prices for tours for 2 people for 7 nights with departure from Moscow

Dead Sea beaches

Dead Sea beaches can be divided into private and public. The first ones belong to hotels and are well equipped - there are sunbeds, umbrellas, showers, toilets, and comfortable descents into the water. Since the Dead Sea becomes shallower every year and the distance to it from the hotel increases, special transport takes guests to the water. Excellent beaches are located in the resort of Ein Bokek.

Free beaches are less equipped, but they always have a shower to wash off the salt. Also sometimes there are umbrellas from the sun, toilets. On all beaches for swimming, special shoes are needed so as not to cut yourself on the stones. Swimming time in the Dead Sea should not exceed 20 minutes.

The Dead Sea region is located in an amazing area - solar radiation is practically safe here. You can sunbathe for 8 hours in a row and not get burned. Wrapping with healing mud and black clay often takes place right on the shores of the Dead Sea. The hot springs of Zohar are rich in sulfur, their water helps with diseases of the joints and muscles.

Treatment at the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is a completely unique place that has no analogues in the world. Millions of years ago, in its place was the Lachon Sea, which dried up and left behind a layer of salt up to 2 kilometers thick. It lies right under the Dead Sea, providing it with incredible salinity: 270 ppm! The waters of the sea contain magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium chloride, as well as bromides. The very air in the Dead Sea resorts is saturated with bromine - it has a relaxing and calming effect on the human nervous system. In addition, the air above the Dead Sea has a much higher oxygen content than anywhere else on the planet - in fact, this is a natural pressure chamber.

In health resorts, located on the seashore, skin diseases are successfully treated, especially psoriasis (more than 93% of those healed!), As well as diseases of the musculoskeletal system and respiratory organs. The climate and procedures have a beneficial effect on those who suffer from high blood pressure.

Wraps with healing peloid mud and black clay rejuvenate the skin, smooth wrinkles, toning it. Mud and clay relieve rheumatic pains, cleanse the skin. Sulfur baths with water from Zohar springs strengthen the circulatory system.

Dead Sea Resorts

The main resorts of the Dead Sea are Ein Bokek and Neve Zohar. It is here that the majority of luxury hotels and health resorts, boarding houses and balneological centers are located. The infrastructure is better developed in Ein Bokek, where there are many entertainment venues, restaurants, and shops. In Neve Zohar, life is in full swing inside the hotels, which are ready to offer their guests almost everything your heart desires.

Ein Bokek is the most famous resort of the Dead Sea. This is a single health complex with many luxury hotels and beautiful beaches. There are large balneological centers where you can take a health course based on the waters and mud of the Dead Sea. Bokek stream contains selenium, which helps to boost the body's immunity.

Ein Gedi is an oasis in the Judean Desert. Mineral water is produced here from a legendary source. In addition, the famous Ahava factory is located in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, which makes cosmetics based on minerals and salts from the Dead Sea. There is a store in the factory. In Ein Gedi there is a medical complex where you can take a hydrogen sulfide bath and sunbathe on the public beach. The entrance to the water is rocky and difficult, you need special shoes.

Landmarks of the Dead Sea

The most famous local attraction is the ancient fortress of Massada. It was built during the time of King Herod the Great. The fortress resisted the Roman army: its defenders preferred death to defeat. A detailed history of the fortress can be found at the light and music show, which takes place here in the summer season. It starts at sunset and lasts about an hour. Simultaneous translation into Russian is available. On the mountain where the fortress stands, you can climb on foot or by funicular.

Another popular place among tourists is the mountain range, which was called "Lot's Wife". According to the biblical story, the wife of the righteous Lot turned into a pillar of salt after she looked back at her hometown of Sodom being destroyed by angels. The column at certain angles looks like a frozen female figure.

AT national park Qumran, which is located on the coast of the Dead Sea, you can see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947. The scrolls themselves are kept in the Shrine of the Book in the Israel Museum. Ein Gedi is one of the oases of the Dead Sea, which is definitely worth a visit. It is here that the magnificent Shulamit waterfall, icy lakes and stone baths are located, as well as a luxurious botanical garden, where more than 900 species of bushes, trees and flowers grow.