Where is the Dead Sea and how is it remarkable? Rest at the Dead Sea. Where is the best place to relax at the Dead Sea: reviews of tourists and photos What the Dead Sea looks like

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 exercise water treatments recommended only in specially designated places, otherwise you can harm your health. If everything is done according to the prescriptions, then health, on the contrary, can be improved. Water, mud procedures are considered to be healing from many diseases. People from all over the world come to get rid of ailments or prevent their occurrence. Not only water, but also common natural conditions the places where the Dead Sea is located are incredibly unique and have a beneficial effect on the human body.

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

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

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 variegated landscape and, by the way, is far from lifeless. In rare periods of rains, the desert is simply transformed: the flowing streams of water along the canyons and gorges feed the entire area, as a result, a green blooming oasis opens up. However, even without rains in the desert there are "islands of life", they can be identified by the greenery 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 numerous caves and canyons, so finding radical population groups in such an area was very problematic.

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

What sights of the Dead Sea did you like? There are icons next to the photo, by clicking on which you can rate this or that place.

Fortress Massada

The fortress of Massada 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 rhombus, in the form of 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 on your own along a narrow path or by cable car.

The building 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 has been well preserved, but also the mosaics and frescoes on the rocks, as well as the synagogue, warehouses for weapons, water reservoirs and baths.

During excavations, archaeologists have found more than ten fragments of scrolls, 4000 coins, about 700 shards with inscriptions in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin, as well as skeletons 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 intact.

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 historians. 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 staggering number of ancient texts, but also by the unusual architecture of this place, as well as the culture of the people who lived here.

For lovers of more extreme kind recreation also has something to rejoice at. Hard-to-reach hiding places, which can only be reached along a narrow path between the rocks, attract desperate tourists. The views from the top are breathtaking. The Dead Sea and the 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-store of Dead Sea cosmetics

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

The cosmetic products offered by the factory contain natural ingredients. It is created on the basis of the medicinal waters, salts and mud of the First Sea. The shop at the factory has the widest assortment of cosmetic and medical products, everyone here will find something that suits him. Competent consultants will tell you about the properties of the products. The goods that you purchase at the factory will be guaranteed to be of high quality and fresh.

Zero altitude in relation 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, the total height difference is 1200 m

Mineral Beach at the Dead Sea Israel

Free equipped beach at the Dead Sea. On the beach there is a hydrogen sulphide spring, natural Dead Sea mud, sun loungers and shower columns with fresh water

Parsa canyon

Parsa canyon, located just a little north of the resort Ein Bokek. The plummets are about 80 meters, the canyon is not officially open. So canyoning is at your own peril and risk. Exit from the canyon straight onto route 90 just north of the Dead Sea.

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

Individual and group

The Dead Sea is one of the four seas that wash the shores of Israel. Thousands of tourists come here year after year to heal from many diseases. The air of the coast is saturated with bromine, it soothes 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 at the resorts of the Dead Sea are especially popular among the elderly, many of whom celebrate an incredible surge of energy after swimming and relaxing on the salt beaches.

Climate and weather at 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. It is a very sunny year-round resort with record low rainfall in a year. Quantity sunny days in years exceeds 330.

From November to April, the average temperature 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 creeps up to 40 ° C. The water temperature in the Dead Sea does not drop below 25 ° C, and in August it warms up to 34 ° C.

Tours to the Dead Sea

The prices are for tours for 2 people for 7 nights with a departure from Moscow

Dead Sea beaches

The Dead Sea beaches can be divided into private and public. The first belong to hotels and are well equipped - there are sun loungers, umbrellas, showers, toilets, and comfortable descent into the water. As the Dead Sea grows shallow every year and the distance to it from the hotel increases, special transport brings guests to the water. Excellent beaches are located in the Ein Bokek resort.

Free beaches are less well equipped, but they always have a shower to wash off the salt. Also sometimes there are sun umbrellas, toilets. All beaches need special shoes for swimming so as not to cut yourself on the rocks. Bathing 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 burnt. Healing mud and black clay wraps often take place right on the shores of the Dead Sea. Zohar hot springs are rich in sulfur, their water helps with joint and muscle diseases.

Dead Sea treatment

Dead Sea - perfect unique place, which 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 By the dead sea, providing it with incredible salinity: 270 ppm! The waters of the sea contain chloride of magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium, as well as bromides. The air itself in the resorts of the Dead Sea is saturated with bromine - it has a relaxing and calming effect on the human nervous system. In addition, the oxygen content in the air above the Dead Sea is much higher than elsewhere on the planet - in fact, it is a natural pressure chamber.

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

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

Dead Sea resorts

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

Ein Bokek is the most famous resort in the Dead Sea. It is one wellness 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 muds 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. It produces mineral water from a legendary spring. In addition, the famous "Ahava" factory is located in Kibbutz Ein Gedi, which makes cosmetics based on minerals and salts of the Dead Sea. There is a shop on the territory of the factory. In Ein Gedi there is a medical complex where you can take a hydrogen sulphide bath and sunbathe on public beach... The entrance to the water is rocky and difficult, you need special shoes.

Dead Sea landmarks

The most famous local attraction is the ancient fortress of Massada. It was built during the time of King Herod the Great. The fortress opposed the Roman army: its defenders preferred death to defeat. Detailed history The fortresses can be recognized at the light and music show, which is held here during the summer season. It starts at sunset and lasts about an hour. Simultaneous translation into Russian is available. You can climb the mountain where the fortress stands on foot or by cable car.

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

V 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 Temple of the Book of the Israel Museum. Ein Gedi is one of the Dead Sea oases that is definitely worth a visit. It is here that the magnificent Shulamit waterfall, ice lakes and stone baths, as well as a luxurious botanical garden, where more than 900 species of shrubs, trees and flowers grow.

Unique body of water

For those who appreciate the beauty of seascapes, but cannot swim, for those who love salty foods and enjoy "wallowing" in the mud, the stories about the Dead Sea are unlikely to be new. Many have heard about it more than once, and some have already been there more than once. For the rest, you should tell where the Dead Sea is, what are its features.

And this reservoir is truly unique, as it is at the same time a lake, located below the world's water and has the richest medicinal properties... Everything needs to be told in more detail.

Geographic features

Where is the Dead Sea? Almost in the Holy Land. The world famous Jordan River, whose waters Jesus was baptized with, and several other narrow rivers-streams flow here. On both sides of the sea there are two countries with very rich history, fame and landmarks - Israel and Jordan. The Dead Sea is very, very salty. It is so called because it was previously believed that because of this, nothing can survive in it. However, later it turned out that about seventy different microorganisms still find these waters quite acceptable for life. Dead waters are located below the generally accepted sea level by almost four hundred and thirty meters. Unfortunately, this figure is increasing every year (about one meter per year). This is due to the arid climate and the fact that both Jordan and Israel use water for their own purposes. The Dead Sea is not very deep. From the lowest part of it to the surface of the water, there are not even three hundred and eighty meters.

Industry influence

Where is the Dead Sea? Surrounded by a large number of industrial enterprises. Rich in chlorides, bromides and sulfates, dead waters attract both national and foreign producers and "extractors" here. Dead Sea water is also used in the food industry, as well as the holy streams of the Jordan River. This is the main reason that reservoirs are sinking lower and lower every year. Previously, the Jordan was navigable, but now you can cross it on foot (theoretically, since the river is practically the border between states). The use of water and the development of minerals is the reason for the increased frequency of recent times subsidence and decrease in soil fertility. In addition, the water of the Dead Sea is very polluted by both industrial and domestic waste. They began to solve the accumulated problems a long time ago. A number of agreements have been signed on the purification and transfer of water from the Mediterranean and Red Seas. V this moment however, nothing really has been done yet.

Tourism

Where is the Dead Sea? In the land of majestic sights, camels and hospitals for almost all diseases. People come here to get rid of skin diseases, as well as nervous, respiratory and circulatory systems. There are plenty of appropriate medical institutions here, and tourists from all over the world will surely find an institution "to their liking." Air filled with beneficial ions, healing thermal springs, and, of course, therapeutic mud from the bottom of the Dead Sea can improve the health of everyone who comes here. And, of course, water. In order to stick to it, you do not need to do absolutely anything. You can just lie and drink juice or read a newspaper (the main thing is that the latter does not get wet).

Unique The 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 in such a sea do not survive, and even swim in its waters 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 to be an indicator of a very high concentration. The surface of the sea, which is actually a lake, is 425 meters below sea level, indicating that the most low point on the planet. The length of the Dead Sea reaches 67 kilometers, its maximum width is 18 kilometers, and maximum depth stopped at around 378 meters.

However, scientists note that every year the water level due to the receding sea drops by one meter, leaving behind a patch of land hypersaturated with salt. At the same time, rainwater leaches salt from such soil, forming voids into which you can easily fall through. As a result, today in the territory of Jordan and Israel, there are about 1200 sinkholes, 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 ensures that living organisms practically cannot exist here. However, in it you can still find several types of tiny bacteria and one very tenacious alga - Tunolella.

The unique mineralogical composition of the Dead Sea salt differs from the composition of salt in other bodies of water. The water 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 health resort that tourists from all countries tend 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-sulphide mud of the sea is distinguished by high mineralization and is popular for its high content of iodine, bromine and hormone-like substances.

For tourists on the shore Dead lake large jugs filled with dirt that you can wipe off are specially displayed. Then you need to wait for the dirt to dry, and you can go to 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 about 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, it will be difficult to swim or dive in it. It is much easier to sit in it like in a hammock and have fun. This will give you the feeling that you are not in water, but in oil.

It should be noted that certain security measures must be observed when in the Dead Sea. Thus, cuts on salt crystals should be avoided, as such wounds will take a very long time to heal. Also, do not dive into the water and splash: salt water can seriously burn your eyes. If this happens, and water gets on the retina, then the coastal doctors on duty will always come to the rescue. They have a large supply of clean water bottles that they will quickly rinse your eyes with.

In addition, it is not recommended to be in the lake for more than 20 minutes at a time on the Jordanian coast and more than 15 minutes on the Israeli coast, where the waters are considered to be 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 light. As a result, here you can sunbathe as much as you like and not get any harm to the body.

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

The Dead Sea is nourished by the waters of the Jordan River and the streams that flow down in winter from the Moab Mountains in Jordan and from the Judean Mountains in Israel. Groundwater sources also contribute to the total "water" share of the sea. For example, the Jordan River every year brings to the lake about seven million tons of water, which have no outlet from the sea. However, the heat of the Jordan Valley evaporates them rather quickly.

The Dead Sea actually consists of two basins, which are interconnected by an artificial canal system. There is a thick layer of salt under the bottom of the lake, formed here after the evaporation of the Lachon Sea, which happened more than a million years ago. The Dead Sea is surrounded by desert on all sides. Scientists believe that it arose about 5 million years ago as a result of the strongest tectonic processes that also influenced the creation of the Great Afro-Asian Rift. Until now, the earth's crust in the Dead Sea region 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, there are large tracts of salted earth, which cracked from the heat, and immediately behind them dry brown mountains begin to rise. A little further north, these mountains begin to acquire a reddish hue, and near the southern part of the Dead Sea you can see the pillars of salt.

One of the salt pillars of the lake is associated with a popular ancient legend... It is recorded in the Bible, and according to it, in ancient times there were the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which for their hideous 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 hastily leave the doomed place. At the same time, God set a condition that none of those who were being saved should even look back at the burning cities. But Lot's wife regretted her property and looked back. At that very second, it turned, according to the biblical message, into a pillar of salt, which, according to the legend of local residents, is still located not far from modern city Gray-haired.

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 blazing cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and in which carbon dioxide was 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 calcites, which in Hebrew was called salt.

Also, the biblical report says that subsequently Lot and his daughters settled near the Dead Sea in a cave located near the modern town of Safi in Jordan. Historians question the reliability of the existence of the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, since they are mentioned only in the Bible, but archaeological finds this is not confirmed. However, many scholars and biblical scholars are convinced that these cities are now at the bottom of the Dead Sea.

A similar point of view is shared by the Russian researcher Yuri Kudinov. He managed to get a photograph of an old map at one of the Israeli universities. It is on this map that Sodom and Gomorrah are (which also confirms their existence) at the place where the rivers flow into the Dead Sea. Now these rivers are long gone, and the discussed lake has already "moved" to the location of the 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 the reflected sound, which is at a certain purity, to take readings from the bottom picture. When the sonar records obtained by Kudinov's team were read, some images confirmed the hypothesis that at the bottom of the lake there are objects of impressive size of man-made origin.

When Yuri Kudinov's group began to shoot underwater, it immediately became clear that this would not be an easy task. When it hit the lens of an autonomous underwater camera equipped with an engine and its own control system, the counting beam against the background of very dense water gave out a solid white stripe. The matter was complicated by the fact that the governments banned the use of any floating craft on the Dead Sea, so the team had to manually move the raft with the 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 shoot a 10-minute film with clearly visible images in four days. So, on the recording from the bottom of the sea, an object similar to a column is clearly visible. Other objects are in the form of large eggs and some kind of circles overgrown 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 impressive column confirms the fact that there were once buildings on the site of the Dead Sea.

Also in the Bible, it is reported that the vicinity of the Dead Sea served as a refuge for King David. And under Herod the Great, the first resort in the world was created here, where the rich people of that time gathered for treatment and rest. In addition, it is known that it was here that a large number of a wide variety of substances were mined, from fertilizers to balms for the mummies of Ancient Egypt.

Another unusual feature of the Dead Sea is that it forms high-quality natural asphalt in the form of black stones and small pebbles. In ancient times, "Jewish asphalt", and this is how the bituminous liquid that floats to the surface of the lake was 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.

In the vicinity of the Dead Sea, the Qumran manuscripts, also called the Dead Sea Scrolls, were found: they made a real sensation in the world of scholars studying the Bible and theology. The first scrolls were accidentally discovered in 1947 by a Bedouin boy. Among them was a well-preserved scroll of the book of the prophet Isaiah, which is part of the canonical Bible. Also in the caves of Qumran, located on the shores of the Dead Sea, more than 170 scrolls have been discovered containing excerpts 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: changes mainly affected only the spelling of some words.

Thus, Israel and Jordan perceive the Dead Sea as a unique natural treasure. Thousands of tourists from all over the world strive to visit this area every year. Here is the main center of medical research in the country, famous for its unique methods of treatment. The high temperature, which lasts almost the whole year, low humidity, the absence of pollen and other popular allergens in the air, therapeutic mud, non-hazardous ultraviolet solar radiation, sea water rich in minerals and organic components, as well as thermal mineral hot springs - all this makes the Dead Sea unique and has a permanent positive effect on human health.

The Dead Sea is the deepest salt lake in the world, stretching along the border between Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

It is for the high salinity of the water that the lake received the title of the sea. The water here is saltier than in the ocean by about 8.6 times (there are 330.7 grams of salt in 1 liter of water). The surface of the unique lake is 425 m below sea level, which makes it the lowest point on the planet.

The length of the Dead Sea reaches 67 km, the maximum width is 18 km, and the maximum depth is 378 meters. But every year the water level drops by 1 meter - the sea recedes, leaving behind a soil hyper-saturated with salt. Rainwater washes away the salt, and voids are formed in the soil, into which it is very easy to fall. On the territory of Israel and Jordan, there are about 1200 dips, the depth of which sometimes reaches 25 meters. The biggest danger is posed by sinkholes that form along roads and near residential complexes.

The high percentage of salinity practically excludes the possibility of the existence of living organisms, hence the name of the lake. However, in the Dead Sea, there are still several types of tiny bacteria and one alga - Tunoliella.

The mineralogical composition of the lake salt differs from the composition of salt in the water of other seas. It contains about 50.8% magnesium chloride, 30.4% sodium chloride, 4.4% potassium chloride and 14.4% calcium chloride. Thanks to this wealth, the Dead Sea has become a unique health resort that attracts many tourists from all over the world. In addition to the unusual composition of salts, the reservoir is also famous for its healing mud, extracted from the bottom of the lake. The famous silt sulphide mud of the salt lake is highly mineralized, has a high content of iodine, hormone-like substances and bromine.

You can rub with mud from large, filled jugs set on the shore:

The dirt must dry and then it must be washed off. This procedure greatly helps people with joint problems.

Mineral water from the Dead Sea is a clear, oily, viscous liquid with a temperature of about 30 degrees. Immersion in water is a great pleasure, because of the high density of water, a person does not drown in it, but experiences a feeling of weightlessness. Although the salinity of the water “holds” well on the surface, actually diving or swimming in the Dead Sea will be very difficult. It will be easier to sit in the water like in a hammock. When immersed in water, it feels like it is not water, but oil.

I must say that here you have to take precautions: avoid cuts on salt crystals, the wounds from which heal for a very long time, and also do not splash or dive, because water can severely burn the retina. If, nevertheless, this happened, then the coastal attendants with bottles will help out. pure water... In general, it is recommended to stay in this water for no more than 20 minutes at a time on the Jordanian coast and no more than 15 minutes on the Israeli coast, where the water is even more mineralized.

Due to the fact that the Dead Sea is the lowest point of the planet, the sun's rays, overcoming an additional distance, lose all harmful ultraviolet light, so you can safely sunbathe as much as you like without harm to the body. The air here is absolutely clean of impurities, enriched with oxygen, while the bromine content is increased in it, which can restore the shattered nervous system and give the body additional strength.

The lake is fed by the waters of the Jordan River and streams flowing in winter from the slopes of the Moaf mountains from Jordan and from the Judean Mountains in Israel, and underground sources also contribute. The Jordan River brings about 7 million tons of water to the Dead Sea every day, which has no outlet from here, but the heat of the Jordan Valley quickly evaporates it. Physically, the lake consists of two pools, connected by an artificial canal. Beneath the sea floor lies a thick layer of salt, which was formed by the evaporation of the Lachon Sea about a million years ago.

The Dead Sea is surrounded by desert on all sides. Arose unique lake about 5 million years ago as a result of strong tectonic processes that created the Great Afro-Asian Rift. Earth's crust in the area before today is in constant motion.

View of the Dead Sea from above:

The shores of the lake are no less interesting than the lake itself. In some places, the water has evaporated, leaving large tracts of salty, heat cracked earth, and dry brown mountains rise immediately behind them. Further north, these mountains turn red, and salt pillars stand near the southern part of the lake.

An ancient legend is associated with one of these pillars. The Bible mentions the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which are mired in vices and sins. Lot, a virtuous and God-fearing man, was warned that these cities would be destroyed in atonement for sins, and he and his family should leave these places. But none of his loved ones should in any case turn around. Unfortunately, Lot's wife could not resist the desire to take a last look at the city and, according to legend, at that moment she turned into a huge pillar of salt, still standing not far from the modern city of Sedom. Interestingly, there is a scientific explanation for this phenomenon: in 1988, the American chemist A. Klotz suggested that when Lot's wife stopped to look at the city, she was covered by a wave of hot air from a blazing conflagration, in which there was the highest concentration of carbon dioxide gas. This caused the connection in the body of calcites with carbon dioxide, and as a result of the instantly ensuing calcite crystallization, the woman turned into an immobile block of calcites, which in Hebrew was called "salt."

Also, legend says that Lot and his daughters found shelter near the Dead Sea after Sodom was destroyed. The cave in which Lot hid is located near the town of Safi, Jordan.

The pillar of salt that, according to local residents, Lot's wife turned into:

The historical reliability of the existence of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah is questioned, they are mentioned only in biblical sources and are unknown to archeology. But according to the Russian researcher Yuri Kudinov, the place where Sodom and Gomorrah once were is now flooded by the Dead Sea. Yuri managed to find a photo of an old map, which is stored in one of the universities in Israel. On the map, these cities exist and are located at the confluence of rivers into the Dead Sea. Now these rivers are long gone or they do not flow into the Dead Sea. To confirm his guesses, Yuri used such a device as a sonar, which, using the reflected sound of a certain frequency, allows him to take a picture of the bottom. When the sonar records were deciphered, in some of the images, scientists suspected objects of clearly man-made origin. Then Yuri Kudinov's group began filming underwater using an autonomous underwater video camera equipped with its own motors and control system. The shooting was not easy - very dense water, when a ray of light hit it, gave out a solid white wall in front of the lens. The matter was further complicated by the fact that the use of any floating craft on the Dead Sea is prohibited, so the team manually moved the raft with the equipment installed on it. The cable was only 50 meters long, so the research radius was significantly small. But even with all these factors, in four days it was possible to shoot a ten-minute film with a more or less distinguishable image, where one can quite clearly see an object that looks like a column lying on the bottom. There are other objects in the form of large eggs, some kind of circles overgrown with salt. That is, today we can say for sure that these are hand-made objects. And the presence of the column indicates that there were some buildings in this place.

Dead Sea Salt Flats:

According to the Bible, the Dead Sea served as a refuge for King David. In addition, it is the first resort in the world (created for Herod the Great), and it was here that they mined a large number of substances ranging from balms to mummification in Ancient egypt to a wide variety of fertilizers.

An unusual feature of the Dead Sea is that it forms a natural asphalt in the form of small pebbles and black stones. In ancient times, this "Jewish asphalt" - a bituminous liquid that floats to the surface of the lake - was used in industry and medicine.

In the vicinity of the salt sea, the famous Qumran manuscripts or the Dead Sea Scrolls have been found. This is about 600 manuscripts, which prove that in the II century BC, the Jewish sect of the Essenes professed principles very similar to the commandments of the Gospel. The first scrolls were accidentally found by a Bedouin boy in 1947.

Israel and Jordan are proud of their natural treasure. The Dead Sea Region is a major center for health research and there are several main reasons for this. Low humidity, high temperature almost all year round, absence of pollen and other allergens in the atmosphere, special ultraviolet solar radiation, curative mud, sea water rich in organic components and minerals, thermal mineral hot springs - it is this amazing cocktail that has a beneficial effect on health and makes the Dead Sea unique.

Aerial view of tourists swimming in resort area Ein Boqek: