How many
Wonders of Israel
have you seen?
Dead Sea
Holy
Sepulchre Church
Jerusalem
Old City
Masada
Temple
Mount
Israel home page
World wonders
More
Site map
About me and my credentials
About my website
Reader testimonials
Email me your opinion
Dead Sea
shared with
Jordan and the West Bank
Why the
Dead Sea
is special
The Dead Sea surface lies about 425 meters (1,400 feet) below sea level, making it the world's deepest dry-land location.
Dead Sea
tips & insights
How
the Dead Sea
came to be
this body of water has no outflowing river, so any water that flows into sea from rivers and streams is trapped. That water stays their until it evaporates (which occurs at a relatively fast pace because the air is quite hot and dry). The minerals are left behind, creating an amazingly high minerals-to-water ratio.
Attractions
Besides its world-record low altitude, the Dead Sea offers visitors these draws:
Extreme
floating opportunity
Tourists love posing for a picture showing them reading a newspaper while floating (see photo). It's not a trick. The water is that buoyant.
Masada
This ancient historic fortress is perched dramatically on a cliff overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is a Hillman Wonder.
Spas
They offer mineral-bath, black-mud, among other curative treatments that have been practiced here for 2,000 years.
Landscape
It has an other-world look. And its isolation creates a pristine quietness seldom heard by urban dwellers.
Kibbutz
Visit one to see its communal lifestyle and meet its members.
Dead
Sea Scrolls
These 2,000-year-old Biblical writings were discovered in the mid-20th century by an inquisitive Bedouin shepherd in caves above the ancient Qumran ruins along the Dead Sea.
Be
aware
Because of its high concentration of dissolved minerals, Dead Sea water can stain your bathing suit and other clothing that comes in contact with it. Thoroughly rinse them out in the shower promptly after you leave the water. This mineral-rich water can also sting your eyes and any open cut.
Day
trip
The Dead Sea is about 40 minutes by road from Jerusalem.
For
more pointers...
Read my Dead Sea web page in my Wonders of Jordan guide. It features a fast-fact list.
Photo by See the Holy Land - CC BY-SA 2.0
sponsored ad
Explore my
candid country, region
and other travel guides
Click links for tips & insights
WONDERS OF ... | WONDERS OF ... | CRUISE GUIDES | SAFARI GUIDES | WORLD'S TOP WONDERS |
| ||||
| OTHER TIPS & INSIGHTS | ||||
|
| |||
SPECIAL TOPICS | MORE | |||
| ||||
|
| |||
|
| |||
|
| |||
|
| |||
|
|
| ||
|
|
| ||
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
©2012 HQP - Hillman Quality Publications / hillmanwonders.com
