Along the border with Jordan, between the Judean mountains and the Moab Plateau, perhaps the most popular attraction of Israel stretches - a unique large lake with the frightening name of the Dead Sea. Why it is called so and why tourists from all over the world strive to get to its shores, we will tell further in the article.
Meet the Dead Sea
Standing on the shore of this reservoir, it is impossible to take his eyes off him. The water surface is incredibly beautiful! The blue-green water, in places having a rich emerald color, the mountains reflected in it, and the bright sun in the blue sky - all this does not combine with the gloomy name of this place.
So why is the Dead Sea so called? Upon closer examination, you can find that on the banks of this reservoir, and in it life itself is absent. Fish and arthropods are not found here, algae do not grow. True, in this water there are some types of fungi and bacteria, but our ancestors did not know about this form of life, and therefore they called the sea dead.
The lethality of its water can be explained by the fact that there is a very high percentage of salt content (300-350 ppm). If, for example, we compare this indicator with the Black Sea, then here it reaches only 18 ppm, and in the Red - 41.
The same salt concentration is present in only two water bodies of the Earth - on Lake Baskunchak, which is located in the Astrakhan region (about 300 ppm), and on the small Antarctic lake Don Giovanni (402 ppm).
Why is the Dead Sea so salty and why is it called so
The size of this lake is considerable: the length is 67 km, and the width in some places reaches 18 km, which is obviously why it was called the sea.
From the north it is fed by the Jordan River and some drying streams, but at the same time not a single river originates here - it turns out to be a kind of trap for water. As a result of this state of affairs, as well as intense evaporation over time, various minerals accumulated in the reservoir, and the water became very salty.
Sea surrounded by salt
Many tourists want to personally see the Dead Sea. The visitors understand why it is called this, coming closer to it and discovering that salt deposits are whitening along islands along the coast, the rocks of the coastal rocks are covered with salt, and the Sodom Mountains standing on its southwestern coast are completely made up of it, only from above they covered with dense gypsum crust.
By the way, these mountains are still growing, because underground pressure raises salt through the cracks to the surface of the earth, which becomes plastic due to this.
But you understand that this, of course, is not salt. Its composition includes the same minerals that are dissolved in the waters of the oceans, but at the same time in incredible concentration. Therefore, for most living creatures, the Dead Sea is deadly.
For example, a fish that accidentally swims from the Jordan River immediately dies in this brine, and the waves throw it ashore to the great joy of the birds flying here for a treat.
What is dangerous
From ancient times there is a legend that the Dead Sea causes death to anyone who tries to swim on it or plunge into its waters. One can argue with the last statement, but why the Dead Sea is called dead for those who are sailing in a boat, it is clear that the density of water due to the high concentration of salt is such that it pushes out any object immersed in it, so the boats are likely to roll over.
But the person who is in this water does not sink. Yes, in the Dead Sea you can lie on a quiet surface of the water and read a magazine, because dense water does not allow you to plunge into its thickness. By the way, you can swim here only on your back or on your side. Swim on your stomach does not work, the water will stubbornly turn the swimmer on his back.
What else is called
Arguing why the Dead Sea was called dead, it is worth remembering that it has other names. For example, it is called Asphalt. This is due to the fact that asphalt was mined from the bottom of the lake, which periodically itself rose to the surface of the water. It was used in the construction of ships, for tar, as well as for mummification. The last time a ton of asphalt block rose from the bottom of the Dead Sea in the 60s of the last century.
In addition, this pond is called the Sea of Lot, or Sodom. According to the Bible, it was formed on the site of the notorious city of Sodom, destroyed for the countless sins of its inhabitants by a fiery rain. Only one righteous man named Lot could be saved in that terrible catastrophe. By the way, that is why ardent believers Christians and Jews do not plunge into the water of the Dead Sea and do not use cosmetics made from its salt.
About healthy salts
We learned why the Dead Sea is called the dead, and now we will talk about its benefits. Over the millennia, many unique minerals have accumulated in it. They include calcium, sodium, magnesium chlorides, as well as many bromides. This set of salts has an excellent property - they are able to treat many skin diseases (especially psoriasis), improve blood circulation, relieve muscle tension and fight joint pathologies.
By the way, the useful properties of these minerals were discovered in ancient times. It is not without reason that a bath with the use of Dead Sea salts is called Cleopatra's bath.
And the climate of this area, lying much lower than the world ocean level (-416 m), significantly enhances the healing effect on the human body. All this taken together attracts many tourists who want to improve their health on the shores of the miraculous sea-lake.
Some tips for tourists traveling to the Dead Sea
Why is it called so, it is amazing in its healing qualities, but still the dead sea, you can feel for yourself if you do not take all the precautions and do not take into account the local characteristics of the rest.
To improve your health and not make your problems worse, remember:
- the water in the lake is very caustic, so you need to swim no more than 15 minutes;
- water of the Dead Sea can be poisoned - do not swallow it, and the splashes raised by you can get into the eyes of both you and other vacationers, which threatens serious injury to the mucous membrane and painful consequences;
- if such a nuisance did happen, be sure to rinse your eyes in the fresh-water showers on the shore;
- when resting here, do not forget about a plentiful drink, which will not allow your body to lose a lot of fluid during bathing in brine;
- staying at a local beach for more than three hours is unsafe for health;
- The Dead Sea (why the name is so, the reader probably already understands) is constantly retreating and leaves unsteady dirt on top of which a crust forms, seeming hard from afar, but if you step on it, you can fall into a black liquid, and to avoid this, it is worth walking only along the designated paths and swimming only on equipped beaches.
By the way, it is better to take off metal objects before bathing, because the water of the Dead Sea leads to corrosion of metal.
