What is the first place that comes to mind when thinking of destinations to travel to? I’m sure for many people the Middle East does not jump out at them as a beautiful, relaxing place to vacation. The Middle East is often directly associated with turmoil and war, but in reality there are several breath-taking places that are very popular tourist attractions. One of these attractions is the Dead Sea. Previously, I did not know much about the Dead Sea and quite frankly didn’t sound very appealing to me to visit but after reading just a few things about it I was quickly fascinated.
Where is the Dead Sea?
According to an article on Twisted Sifter, the Dead Sea is located to the east of Jordan and to the west of Israel and the West Bank in the Jordan Rift Valley which is only about forty-five minutes from Jerusalem. Something very fascinating about the location of the Dead Sea is that it is approximately 1,388 feet below sea level making it the lowest point on earth. It is also about 67 kilometers/ 42 miles long and 18 kilometers/11 miles wide actually making it a lake not a sea with the main tributary being the Jordan River. The world’s lowest highway, Highway 90, goes around on the west side.
Why is it called the Dead Sea?
According to an article on goisrael.com, the Dead Sea achieved its name because it really is the dead sea. Barely a single thing lives within the water. The water has a salinity of 33.7% making it one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, where the salt content in the water surpasses the amount of water. With the salinity this high it allows for almost no life because the organisms are not be able to withstand the amount of salt in the water. Only few, very small, macroscopic organisms are able to survive. The water has such a high salinity it makes humans float in result of natural buoyancy making it a very popular tourist attraction in the Middle East. The water within the Dead Sea is about eight times saltier than regular ocean saltwater.
On the contrary, some people consider the Dead Sea to be very much filled with life. There are many therapeutic aspects to the Dead Sea that locals, tourists, entrepreneurs, etc. flock to every year. According to McNulty, some of the treatments are pelotherapy, climatotherapy, heliotherapy, and so on. Thalassotherapy and balenotherapy are two common treatments that aid arthritic and rheumatic condition in which the person bathes in the water which contains twenty-one different minerals. Twelve of these minerals are found in no other body of water in the world. Surrounding, the body of water is a type of mud that is filled with minerals as well that people rub all over their body which relieves arthritic pain as well. The mud has also been known to stimulate blood flow.
Cosmetics from the Dead Sea
The water is high in magnesium, potassium, calcium, bromides, and sodium are all present which is very beneficial to the skin and rejuvenates the skin with these minerals. A few beneficial things that the minerals do is slow skin aging, balance skin moisture, relax muscles, and strengthen nails. These are the sort of treatments women have been trying to do to their bodies for forever to keep themselves looking young and healthy. Which is most likely why, there are hundreds of different Dead Sea Spa/Cosmetic businesses all over the world trying to promote their products to customers.
Now come to think of it, traveling to the Middle East and visiting the relaxing and rejuvenating waters of the Dead Sea sounds more and more like the ideal vacation. Not only is it beautiful, but you are sure to be leaving feeling much better than when you arrived.
http://twistedsifter.com/2012/06/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-dead-sea/
http://allwellness.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/health-benefits-of-the-dead-sea-israel/
Across Cultures 
While the name is fitting for this natural wonder, I adore the Irony that it holds. Just from viewing the video, I could truly see the outstanding beauty this place contains. It seems to be an extremely serene environment and I would love to eventually travel there. Maybe starting my own collection of salt diamonds and pearls, and peacefully floating in the magical water is just what I need in my life.
You’re right! Most people don’t think the Dead Sea is a tourist attraction. I had no idea why they named it that, so interesting!
Visiting the Dead Sea has always been on my bucket list, its beauty and semi lifeless water has always intrigued me. My father has visited the Dead Sea multiple times and his stories of the cleansing water are something I will never forget. I read that even the air is better near the Dead Sea, the high barometric pressure makes for extremely oxygen-rich air. It has nearly 6 to 8 percent more air molecules per cubic meter than normal air. The air is also pollen-free, pollution-free and contains high quantities of bromine, which aids in reducing nervous and muscle tension. I hope one day to have my own stories about visiting the mysterious Dead Sea.
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/climate-dead-sea-16260.html
It is always so nice to read about the beautiful aspects of the Middle East. The Dead Sea truly is one of them and after reading this I feel as if I need to take a trip there myself. I feel as if the beauty in the area should be talked about more, especially in media. It is so easy to become caught up in all the violent things going on and sometimes we need to let our minds take a different route and focus on some of the more enlightening things the world has to offer. This post definitely focuses on something so magnificent and it helps encourage others to take that into consideration as well.
During my travels this past summer, I saw some amazing scenery in UAE. It is sad that the Middle East is not seen as a place for great travel spots. While I was not near the Dead Sea, I did notice the Persian Gulf was more salty than the oceans near North America. I never knew the rejuvenating properties of the Dead Sea. I really like this blog.
I wonder if the reason it is called a sea is because it is salty? This was a really informative article, I had no clue the Dead Sea was the lowest point on Earth nor did I know that it is home to nearly no life. I knew that a lot of cosmetology products came from this area, but I was not aware of the importance the Dead Sea plays into these products. This beautiful place is definitely overlooked!
The facts mentioned in this article made me realize how unique the Dead Sea really is. People go on vacation to relax and escape their day-today lives, but by visiting the Dead Sea, people are able to not only do so, but also leave feeling a lot better due to all the minerals in the water. Definitely would have a hard time leaving.
I’ve used Dead Sea products before, when walking through the mall for free samples. I didn’t know the majority of these facts! This is such a great informative piece!!! Great job!
Wow I love this post. You are totally right about what places first come to mind when we talk about vacation. I would think Italy, Florida, maybe even Peru. Great breaking over stereotypes. I really like your article and I like that you talk about more than just destination traveling. Hopefully someday I’ll get to vacation by the Dead Sea!!!