Dead Sea

Interesting facts about the Dead Sea

Already in the introductory paragraph, we have several times honoured the Dead Sea with complimentary epithets such as "unique" and "unusual". So what is its uniqueness?

• The average salinity of the Dead Sea is 310 ‰, the maximum documented value is 350 ‰. To make it easier to imagine: about 310 grams of salts are dissolved in one kilogram (one kilogram, not one liter) of Dead Sea water. No wonder that with such concentration of salt the density of water increases so much that on the lake you can lie on your back and read a book, comfortably raising your head above the water.
• The city of Ein Bokek in Israel, located on the Dead Sea coast, is recognized as the lowest settlement in the world - the average altitude is -404 meters above sea level.
• There is another interesting feature from the previous one. As of the year 2017, the water level in the Dead Sea was 432 metres below sea level. According to Wikipedia the water level drops by 1 meter every year. According to some reports, the lake can completely dry out in just 50 years!
• You can sunbathe at the Dead Sea resorts all day long without the risk of sunburns, as the evaporation of the lake creates a kind of filter of ultraviolet radiation. However, this filter does not protect against thermal shock!
• Statistically, there are 330 clear days a year in Ein Bokek.
• The maximum depth of the water body is 304 meters. But if we take into account its low location (down to -430 meters below sea level), we can safely call the Dead Sea the deepest salty lake in the world.
• The Dead Sea atmospheric pressure fluctuates around 800 mmHg, while 760 mmHg is considered normal. The air is saturated with oxygen and bromine, which gives holidaymakers a constant feeling of relaxation, lightness of mind and perhaps a slight sluggishness.

Attractions of the Dead Sea (Ein Bokek)

National Park "Ein Gedi"

The Biblical city and field of bloody battles today is a therapeutic resort, reserve and national park, as well as one of the most beautiful oases of the Middle East. To this day, hyraxes, mountain goats, foxes, gazelles and other inhabitants of the reserve come to the cleanest spring filled with the rain waters of the Judaean mountains. To see reeds, water body, fruit trees, figs in the middle of the vast desert is an inexpressible feeling! Noteworthy are the stalactite caves and the ancient water supply system, which overtook the technical progress of its era for many centuries.

Masada Fortress

The ancient fortification building is located near the biblical city of Arad. The construction of the rhombiform fortress began in 25 B.C. by decree of King Herod the Great, who considered one of the peaks of the Judean Mountains (450 meters above sea level) a good place to create a shelter for his family. Masada fortress was surrounded on three sides by steep rocks, and the only way to reach it was by a narrow and complex "snake" path that still exists today. It is true that today, tourists may not risk their health and climb up by cable car.

The fortress was partially completed, but most of the buildings have been preserved in their original form. The territory of the shelter was protected from winds and potential enemies by a 1400-meter long 4-meter thick fortress wall, and the 37 towers were constantly guarded by soldiers. Many of the towers were destroyed and dilapidated, but as for the construction, whose age exceeded 2 thousand years, the fortress looks amazing.

Judaean desert

Amazing desert stretches between the Dead Sea and Jerusalem. Usually it is lifeless and stingy with paint, but when it rains in Jerusalem, the landscape changes, canyons and gorges fill up the stormy streams of water, turning the Judaean Desert into a blooming oasis. It is not only a natural attraction, but also a historical and religious one, as there are many legends and biblical events connected with it: here the future King David was hiding from the persecutors, in the mouth of the Jordan River, in the north-west of the desert, John the Baptist converted people to Christianity, and in earlier times members of the Jewish sect of the Essenes made pilgrimages to the desert, finding here a source of enlightenment and spiritual purification.

Qumran Gorge

In Qumran Gorge there is a historical and archaeological reserve of the same name, which managed to impress the scientific community in the middle of the last century. Earlier it was known that members of the Essenes sect lived in this region more than 2 thousand years ago, as evidenced by the ruins of monasteries, caves equipped for dwelling houses, various household items and tool. And in the 1950s, shepherds chased the cattle and accidentally stumbled across inconspicuous caves where they found scrolls that turned out to be a real religious treasure.

A little later, archaeologists found here a whole library of manuscripts in Hebrew and Greek, made on parchment and leather. Their translation had a great impact on the study of the history of Judaism and Christianity as the world's largest religious denominations. Tourists can visit the ruins of temples and settlements of the II-I century BC, explore the amazingly complex irrigation system with aqueducts and dams, climb the dangerous path between the rocks to the top of the hill, where you can enjoy a magical view of the desert and the Dead Sea.

Ein Bokek Canyon

The most popular hotels on the Dead Sea coast, at least in its Israeli part, are located in Ein Bokek. While resting there, it is worth visiting the canyon of the same name, one of the main attractions of the region. The average duration of the tour is 8 hours, during which you can climb to a height of 120 meters, walk several kilometers of winding trails, swim under the jets of waterfall and take a lot of beautiful pictures.

Tmarim Canyon

Attraction for lovers of extreme and unusual natural landscapes. The canyon reaches a height of 100 meters, on which you will have to climb along narrow and sometimes quite dangerous paths. Around the canyon there are dozens of date palms, after which the gorge got its name (Hebrew תמרים, tmarim - palm tree, date). The top offers a magnificent view of the Jordanian mountains and the Dead Sea coast, so a difficult climb will pay off in full. In those weeks when the canyon is filled with water, you can rent equipment and try your hand at rafting under the careful supervision of instructors.