The Dead Sea coast is the lowest landmass on Earth. This is drainless salt lake between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. The water level in the Dead Sea is 425 meters below sea level and is falling at a rate of approximately 1 meter per year. The maximum depth is 378 meters. This is one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth, its salinity reaches 33.7%.

1. Several drying up streams and the Jordan River flow into the Dead Sea; in the last 40 years alone, the volume of incoming water has decreased by almost 15 times.

2. Over the last century, the water level has dropped by 25 meters.

4. It so happened that I stayed at a hotel in the resort town of Tiberias, which is located on the shores of Lake Tiberias. And to the shooting location we had to travel more than 250 km, which is almost the whole of Israel. All the way to the sea we drove along the border with Jordan and the Jordan River.
Jews take a thorough approach to protecting their borders...

For comparison, this is what the calm Russian border with the peaceful Mongols looks like somewhere on the edge of the Altai land.

Border post. It is immediately clear that everything is fine.

5. In Israel everything is different, this is noticeable in the cross-section of the border. A plowed strip, an additional road for the military and four lines of fences. Motion sensors, voltage, everything...

6. And for dessert - a minefield. In the background is Jordan.

7. Half of our journey passed through the territory of the Palestinian Authority. Sometimes we passed interesting villages, but when I suggested we stop and visit for ten minutes to take pictures, the Jewish driver looked at me like I was an idiot and said that he wouldn’t even slow down. Like, we have Israeli (yellow) plates, and it’s good that they haven’t thrown stones at us yet...

8. We drove like this in a car with air conditioning, and we arrived at the first shooting point.

9. It was then that I was crushed by a lead slab of hellish heat. In my entire life I have never been to such a hot place. The sun was cheerfully overhead, and there was nowhere to hide from it. Israeli soldiers drink up to five liters of water per day - that's what our driver told me. Now I know why.

10. Due to drainage, the sea was divided into two parts, northern and southern.

11. This is the north side. It looks like an ordinary sea among hot rocks.

12. Instead of sand on the shore there is salt and colorful puddles.

13. The level where the road now passes was still under water half a century ago.

15. According to my personal feelings, it was 50 degrees outside!

16. Salt stones.

17. The water in the sea looks like jelly. Only in strong winds can you see waves.

18. The falling level of the Dead Sea is not the only problem threatening this unique corner of nature. In recent decades, the sea has become a sewer for many Palestinian cities and settlements. The situation is aggravated by plastic waste brought in by winter floods.

21. I decided to taste it. I tried it - salt, like salt.

22. The rich mineralogical composition of salt has allowed the Dead Sea to turn into a unique healing resort, attracting millions of tourists from all over the world. Pay attention to the thermometer.

23. I took a swim in the water and instantly recognized where I had burrs or small scratches.
In addition to the unique composition of salts, the Dead Sea is also known for its healing mud, which is extracted from the bottom of this lake.

24. And this is the southern part of the sea. It is under the control of mineralogical and chemical plants. The enterprises mine bromine, potassium carbonate and other minerals.

25. Crystallization of salts occurs through the evaporation of water. For these purposes, the southern part of the sea was turned into a system of interconnecting basins.

26. Scientists believe that disruption of the natural process of water circulation in the Dead Sea will inevitably lead to an environmental disaster.

28. Jordan.

29. This is what the southern part of the sea looks like from a satellite. Map http://www.bing.com/maps/

Unique Dead Sea is the deepest of all salt lakes in the world. Interesting name it received due to its very high degree of salinity: the water here is 8.6 times saltier than in the ocean, plants and fish do not survive in such a sea, and even swimming in its waters must be done with caution - you can “get burned”!

The amazing Dead Sea is located between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. The salt level here reaches 330.7 grams per 1 liter of water, which is considered an indicator of very high concentration. The surface of the sea, which is actually a lake, is 425 meters below sea level, making it the lowest point on the planet. The length of the Dead Sea reaches 67 kilometers, its maximum width is 18 kilometers, and its maximum depth is 378 meters.

However, scientists note that each year the water level due to the receding sea drops by one meter, leaving behind a piece of land hyper-saturated with salt. At the same time, rainwater washes away salt from such soil, forming voids into which you can easily fall. As a result, today there are about 1,200 sinkholes in Jordan and Israel, sometimes reaching a depth of 25 meters. But the biggest danger comes from sinkholes that form near residential buildings and along roads.

The high percentage of salt in the Dead Sea makes it virtually impossible for living organisms to exist here. However, you can still find several species of tiny bacteria and one very tenacious algae - tunoliella.

The unique mineralogical composition of Dead Sea salt differs from the composition of salt in other bodies of water. The water here contains 50.8% magnesium chloride, 14.4% calcium chloride, 30.4% sodium chloride and 4.4% potassium chloride. This wealth turns the lake into a healing resort, which tourists from all countries strive to visit. But, in addition to the unusual composition of the salt, the Dead Sea is famous for its healing mud, which is extracted from the bottom of the reservoir. Silt-sulfide muds of the sea are highly mineralized and are popular for their high content of iodine, bromine and hormone-like substances.

For tourists on the shore Dead Lake Large jugs filled with mud are specially displayed with which you can wipe yourself. Then you need to wait for the dirt to dry, and you can wash it off. Such procedures are very useful for people who have joint pain.

The mineral waters of the Dead Sea are a clear, viscous, oily liquid with a temperature of approximately 30 degrees. For tourists, immersion in such water is always an interesting process. Due to the high density of water, the human body does not sink in it, but is in a state similar to weightlessness. But, despite the fact that the hypersaline waters of the lake “hold” well on the surface, swimming or diving in it will be difficult. It’s much easier to sit in it like in a hammock and have fun. In this case, you will feel that you are not in water, but in oil.

It should be noted that when staying in the Dead Sea, certain safety measures must be observed. So, you should avoid cutting yourself on salt crystals, as such wounds will take a very long time to heal. You should also not dive into the water or splash around: salt water can seriously burn your eyes. If this happens, and water gets on the retina of the eyes, then the coastal doctors on duty will always come to the rescue. They have a large supply of bottles of clean water with which they will quickly rinse your eyes.

In addition, it is not recommended to stay in the lake for more than 20 minutes at a time on the Jordanian shore and more than 15 minutes on the Israeli shore, where the waters are considered more mineralized. But there is also a significant plus here. Since the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the planet, the sun's rays, reaching here, already have time to lose all their harmful ultraviolet radiation. As a result, here you can sunbathe as much as you like without causing harm to your body.

The air in the Dead Sea area is so clean of impurities and so pleasantly enriched with oxygen that breathing here is a pleasure. At the same time, the air contains an increased amount of bromine, which is especially useful for restoring loose nervous system and to give the body additional strength.

The Dead Sea receives its nutrition from the waters of the Jordan River and streams flowing in winter from the mountains of Moab in Jordan and from the mountains of Judea in Israel. Underground sources also contribute to the total “water” share of the sea. For example, the Jordan River brings about seven million tons of water into the lake every year, which has no outlet from the sea. However, the heat of the Jordan Valley evaporates them quite quickly.

The Dead Sea actually consists of two basins, which are connected to each other by an artificial canal system. Beneath the bottom of the lake is a thick layer of salt that formed here after the evaporation of the Lashon Sea, which occurred more than a million years ago. The Dead Sea is surrounded on all sides by desert. Scientists believe that it arose about 5 million years ago as a result of strong tectonic processes, which also influenced the creation of the Great Afro-Asian Rift. Until now, the earth's crust in the Dead Sea area is in constant seismic movement.

The shores of the lake are no less interesting than the lake itself. In those places where the water has already evaporated, large areas of salted earth remain, which is cracked by the heat, and immediately behind them dry brown mountains begin to rise. A little further north, these mountains begin to take on a reddish hue, and near the southern part of the Dead Sea you can see pillars of salt.

A popular ancient legend. It is written in the Bible, and according to it, in ancient times there were the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which, for their disgusting sins, incurred the wrath of God. But at that time there lived a virtuous and God-fearing man, Lot, who was warned that these cities would be destroyed. Lot and his relatives had to quickly leave the doomed places. At the same time, God set the condition that none of those fleeing should even look back at the burning cities. But Lot's wife regretted the acquired property and looked back. At that very second it turned, according to the biblical account, into a pillar of salt, which according to legend local residents is still located near the modern city of Sedom.

Interestingly, scientists have found an explanation for this event. In 1988, the American chemist A. Klotz put forward a hypothesis according to which Lot’s wife could have died from a wave of hot air that arose from the burning cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and which contained carbon dioxide in the highest concentration. This could cause a combination of calcite and carbon dioxide in a woman’s body, and as a result of an instant reaction of calcite crystallization, a person could quickly turn into a monolithic block of calcite, which in Hebrew was called salt.

The biblical account also says that Lot and his daughters subsequently settled near the Dead Sea in a cave located near the modern town of Safi in Jordan. Historians question the authenticity of the existence of the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, since they are mentioned only in the Bible, but this has not been confirmed by archaeological finds. However, many scientists and biblical scholars are confident that these cities are now located at the bottom of the Dead Sea.

A similar point of view is shared by Russian researcher Yuri Kudinov. He managed to get a photograph of an ancient map from one of the Israeli universities. It is on this map that Sodom and Gomorrah are located (which also confirms their existence) at the place where the rivers flow into the Dead Sea. Now these rivers are long gone, and the lake under discussion has already “moved” to the location of famous ancient cities.

To test his guesses, Yuri Kudinov decided to examine the bottom of the Dead Sea using a sonar: this device allows, using reflected sound at a certain purity, to take readings from a picture of the bottom. When the sonar records received by Kudinov’s team were read, some of the images confirmed the hypothesis that at the bottom of the lake there were impressively sized man-made objects.

When Yuri Kudinov’s group began filming underwater, it immediately became clear that this would not be an easy task. When an autonomous underwater camera, equipped with a motor and its own control system, entered the lens, the counting beam produced a solid white stripe against the background of very dense water. The matter was complicated by the fact that governments banned the use of any watercraft in the Dead Sea, so the team had to manually move the raft with installed equipment. Also, the research radius was significantly small, since the cable length was about 50 meters.

But even with such difficulties, Yuri Kudinov managed to make a 10-minute film with clearly visible images in four days. So, in the recording from the bottom of the sea, an object similar to a column is clearly visible. Other objects are in the shape of large eggs and some circles covered with salt. However, in any case, we can say with confidence that these are objects made by human hands. In addition, the presence of an impressively sized column confirms that there were once buildings on the site of the Dead Sea.

The Bible also reports that the area around the Dead Sea served as a refuge for King David. And under Herod the Great, the world’s first resort was created here, where rich people of that time came for treatment and recreation. In addition, it is known that this is where mining took place. large quantity a wide variety of substances, from fertilizers to balms for the mummies of Ancient Egypt.

Another unusual feature of the Dead Sea is that it produces high-quality natural asphalt in the form of black pebbles and small pebbles. In ancient times, “Jewish asphalt,” which is what the bitumen liquid floating on the surface of the lake was then called, was widely used in industry, everyday life and medicine. This is also reported in the second biblical book of Exodus, written in 1512 BC.

The Qumran manuscripts, also called the Dead Sea Scrolls, were found in the vicinity of the Dead Sea: they created a real sensation in the world of biblical and theological scholars. The first scrolls were discovered by chance in 1947 by a Bedouin boy. Among them was a well-preserved scroll of the book of the prophet Isaiah, part of the canonical Bible. Also in the caves of Qumran, located on the shores of the Dead Sea, more than 170 scrolls were discovered containing passages from almost all the books of the Old Testament. Scientists dated the found documents to the period between 250 BC and the 1st century AD. These passages proved that the modern text of the Bible is almost completely consistent with the tests that were written in them thousands of years ago: the changes affected mainly only the spelling of some words.

Thus, Israel and Jordan perceive the Dead Sea as unique natural treasure. Every year thousands of tourists from all over the world seek to visit this area. Here is the country's main medical research center, famous for its unique treatment methods. High temperatures that last almost all year round, low humidity, the absence of pollen and other popular allergens in the air, healing mud, harmless ultraviolet solar radiation, sea water rich in minerals and organic components, as well as thermo-mineral hot springs - all this makes the Dead Sea unique and has a permanent positive effect on people's health.

It's false to believe, but for many centuries people avoided settling in the areaDead Sea. All attempts to swim across the mysterious body of water ended in failure. Although the sea received its ominous name for other reasons. One liter of water containsup to 350g of various salts. It’s not for nothing that the name in Hebrew sounds like yam amelach, which translated means Salt Sea. In the clear, oily waters of the Dead Sea, living organisms, apart from bacteria, are not able to survive. But at the beginning of the last century, the situation changed dramatically and the calm surfaces of the salty sea, like floats, were dotted with the bodies of vacationers.

Even now there are not many settlements in the lifeless Judean desert, only numerous hotels rise on the coast. That's why public transport difficult to get to. If you are planning to visit the Dead Sea on your own, there are several options for how to get there.

Coming from Jerusalem bus number 486. And from the center of the country you will have to travel with transfers. It is better to book a one-day tour, it will cost about $50.

Often, except beach holiday, the program includes a visit to the mountain Massada and the reserve Ein Gedi. However, daylight hours are not flexible and it is better to prioritize. Part of our group, which went sightseeing, did not have time to experience all the delights of a beach holiday. Although, to be honest, there is not much entertainment on a deserted beach.

There are just over ten beaches on the Israeli side of the coast, most of them public, as swimming elsewhere can be life-threatening.

A mandatory stop on the way to the beach is a store with cosmetic products. And here it is important to show all your willpower and refrain from shopping, especially if this is your first time in the country. The point is that prices here are several times higher than on the market Carmel in Tel Aviv. The same package of salt or dirt can be bought in any store in another city for much less. In addition, efficient Bedouins sell healing mud collected nearby for 5-10 shekels per bag. One portion is enough to completely cover your body with healing clay and turn into an ebony man for half an hour. And on some beaches you can get mud yourself.

Holidays at the Dead Sea

When going to the Dead Sea, do not neglect advice grab rubber slippers. Travel agencies do not always warn you which beach they will take you to. If you are lucky, you will enter the sea on sand, but there is a possibility that the bottom will be rocky.

Walking on the salt formations, which are more reminiscent of coral, is practically impossible, so your feet will need protection. For many, when they see the surface of the sea, a natural reflex is triggered - to plop into the water with a run... Dead Sea this scenario won't work. In practice, getting into the water is not so easy, and from the outside, such a dive looks quite funny. The density of water, at the lowest point on the planet, is ten times higher than normal. And the water categorically prevents the body from sinking, pushing the person to the surface.

It is worth noting that all the beaches here are equipped with special slopes with railings for people with special needs. You can experience the joy of weightlessness at sea and enjoy the truly Martian landscape that opens from the sea only within 20 minutes. Due to the high concentration of salts and minerals, it is not recommended for a living organism to be in water more often three sessions per day, 20 minutes each. After every bath it is necessary wash off the salt fresh water . For this purpose, free showers are installed on the beaches.

Video: It’s very interesting to see what swimming in the Dead Sea looks like.

In addition, it is no coincidence that these oily waters are uninhabited: drinking a glass of water from the Dead Sea can be fatal. Therefore, the holiday here is quiet and orderly. And if one of the vacationers nevertheless swallowed water, then he definitely needs to see a doctor.

Historical landmarks

Israelis travel to the resort by their own transport. The most popular beaches are in the area Ein Bokek. There is a flat bottom and along the way there is an opportunity to see the main attractions.

The road from Tel Aviv takes just over two hours, half of which will involve driving through picturesque rocky terrain. Along the road there are huge digital signs informing you how many meters below the world's oceans you are. By the way, the microclimate in this part of the world is completely special, which allows you to swim all year round, and the air can even cure asthma.

Masada Fortress

Here and there in the lifeless Judean desert there are small oases of palm trees, but tourists are attracted primarily legendary fortress Masada, rising on one of the rocks.

King Herod built a defensive point at an altitude of 450 m above the Dead Sea. But the Romans tried to take the impregnable fortress by siege, and when the inhabitants realized that supplies of water and food were running out, they chose ten people by lot who had to kill everyone, including themselves, so as not to surrender to the enemy.

Hardy tourists paying 7 dollars, can climb the mountain on foot, overcoming a steep climb. And for 18 American rubles you can get to the ruins of Herod’s palace by ski lift.

The landscape opening from the mountain is truly breathtaking: the Martian relief is broken only by the blue ribbon of the Dead Sea, above which the Jordanian mountains rise on the other side.

Sodom

The next destination is known to everyone - Sodom. The sinful city was located a few kilometers from the Dead Sea and now only a sign above a deserted pit reminds of past debauchery.

Important nuance

The Dead Sea has not been fully studied and, despite the fact that it is shrinking every year, the mysterious body of water never ceases to amaze scientists. The latest surprises in this area cannot be called pleasant. This fall on the beach Shanti in natural pits filled with water from mineral springs, the water temperature rose sharply and people taking baths at this time received burns. After the first incident, these pits were fenced off; according to preliminary data, the temperature jump occurred due to the emergence of a new hot spring. But until everything is fully understood, better be careful and limit yourself to swimming in the sea itself.

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The Dead Sea is a unique resort on our planet, located in Israel. The water of the Dead Sea is rich in salts, various minerals and trace elements; these components are almost several times higher than the norm, therefore it is recommended to carry out water procedures only in specially designated places, otherwise you can harm your health. If you do everything according to the instructions, then on the contrary, your health can be improved. Water and mud treatments are considered healing for many diseases. People from all over the world come to get rid of illnesses or prevent their occurrence. Not only the water, but also the general natural conditions of the place where the Dead Sea is located are incredibly unique and have a beneficial effect on the human body.

The area adjacent to the Dead Sea is considered a nature reserve; beautiful landscapes and nature complement the beneficial effects of the healing water with good effects from an aesthetic point of view. Here are the Sodom Mountains, which consist of pure salt.

The Israelis have created all the conditions for a wonderful holiday on the Dead Sea, comfortable hotels, cafes, restaurants, and, if necessary, health centers. The Dead Sea is a place where you can correct or prevent many diseases and enjoy unique natural places.

Judean Desert

The Judean Desert is one of the most famous and mysterious deserts in the world. The desert stretches from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. The desert has a motley landscape and, by the way, is far from lifeless. During rare periods of rain, the desert simply transforms: flowing streams of water through canyons and gorges feed the entire area, as a result, green blooming oasis. However, even without rain, there are “islands of life” in the desert; they can be identified by the green vegetation around them.

Here, in the desert, at the mouth of the no less famous Jordan River, John the Baptist converted people to Christianity. At one time, the desert served as a refuge for hermits and rebels, thanks to its numerous caves and canyons, so finding radical sections of the population in such an area was very problematic.

Currently, the area is also not empty - nomadic Bedouins and Jewish settlers live here.

What attractions of the Dead Sea did you like? Next to the photo there are icons, by clicking on which you can rate a particular place.

Massada Fortress

The Masada fortress is fraught with many archaeological secrets, the first of which began to be revealed through research at the end of the 20th century. The historical diamond shape in which the fortress was built is located at an altitude of 450 meters above the sea. You can climb to the foot of the fortress either independently along a narrow path or by cable car.

The structure was built at the request of King Herod I the Great in 25 BC. It is worth noting that to this day not only the king’s palace is well preserved, but also the mosaics and frescoes on the rocks, as well as the synagogue, weapons warehouses, water tanks and baths.

During excavations, archaeologists found more than ten fragments of scrolls, 4,000 coins, about 700 shards with inscriptions in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin, as well as skeletons of local residents. It is worth noting that the fortress was partially completed, however, for the most part it still retained the original appearance of the ancient building, the architecture of which remained untouched.

The Dead Sea has always been a source of secrets and mysteries, but none of them is as impressive in its scale as the Qumran Gorge, which at one time shocked historical researchers. It is believed that representatives of the Jewish sect of the Essenes lived in this gorge, who collected such an impressive library. But historians and lovers of antiquities are pleased not only by the stunning number of ancient texts, but also by the unusual architecture of this place, as well as the culture of the people who lived here.

Fans of more extreme types of recreation also have something to rejoice at. Hard-to-reach caches, which can only be reached along a narrow path between the rocks, attract desperate tourists. The views from the top will take your breath away. The Dead Sea and its unique nature make you want to return to this amazing place more than once, and souvenir shops will allow you to take a piece of the Qumran Gorge with you.

Factory-shop of Dead Sea cosmetics

On the coast of the Dead Sea, Ein Bokek, there is a cosmetics factory and a store offering the most complete list of products from the AHAVA company.

The cosmetic products offered by the factory contain natural ingredients. It is created on the basis of healing waters, salts and mud of the Dead Sea. The factory store has the widest range of cosmetics and medicinal products; everyone here will find something that suits them. Competent consultants will tell you about the properties of the products. The product you purchase from the factory will be guaranteed to be of high quality and fresh.

Zero altitude relative to sea level on the road from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea

Zero sea level mark on the road from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. The road descends from a height of 800 m above sea level and descends to a depth of -400 m below sea level, a total elevation difference of 1200 m

Mineral Beach on the Dead Sea, Israel

Free equipped beach on the Dead Sea. On the beach there is a hydrogen sulfide spring, natural Dead Sea mud, sun loungers and fresh water showers

Parsa Canyon

Parsa Canyon, located a little north of the resort Ein Bokek. The slopes are about 80 meters, the canyon is not officially open. So canyoning here is at your own risk. The exit from the canyon is directly on Route 90, just north of the Dead Sea.

The most popular attractions in the Dead Sea with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose best places to visit famous places Dead Sea on our website.

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