Tourism Minister Gideon Ezra, Tamar Regional Council Head Mr. Dov Litvinoff, and other Israeli and foreign dignitaries took part in the official ceremony today, transforming the lowest point on Earth into an official attraction. Entrance to the site will be free of charge.
The spot is located on the Dead Sea shore, just to the north of the hotels and near the Ein Gedi nature reserve. Litvinoff explained afterwards that the ultimate plan is to turn the area into the lowest park in the world, in cooperation with Jordan, which borders the Dead Sea from the east.
"The plan was to enclose the entire Dead Sea with a road," Litvinoff said today, "but the program has largely ground to a halt due to the security events of the past few years. We're continuing our part, though."
A sign marks the site as being 415 meters, or 1362 feet, below sea level. The Tourism Ministry notes that the new low site thus takes its place alongside "other similar spots in the world, such as the highest spots in the world - Mts. Everest, Kilimanjaro, and Mont Blanc - and the Equator in the club of geographic greats. "
Tourism Ministry literature also points out that the Dead Sea is renowned throughout the world for its curative qualities, and is a magnet for those who seek to benefit from the therapeutic power of its mineral-rich waters.
Click here for information on travel to Israel.
The spot is located on the Dead Sea shore, just to the north of the hotels and near the Ein Gedi nature reserve. Litvinoff explained afterwards that the ultimate plan is to turn the area into the lowest park in the world, in cooperation with Jordan, which borders the Dead Sea from the east.
"The plan was to enclose the entire Dead Sea with a road," Litvinoff said today, "but the program has largely ground to a halt due to the security events of the past few years. We're continuing our part, though."
A sign marks the site as being 415 meters, or 1362 feet, below sea level. The Tourism Ministry notes that the new low site thus takes its place alongside "other similar spots in the world, such as the highest spots in the world - Mts. Everest, Kilimanjaro, and Mont Blanc - and the Equator in the club of geographic greats. "
Tourism Ministry literature also points out that the Dead Sea is renowned throughout the world for its curative qualities, and is a magnet for those who seek to benefit from the therapeutic power of its mineral-rich waters.
Click here for information on travel to Israel.