Ein Gedi Spa was a wellness center along the
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea ( he, יַם הַמֶּלַח, ''Yam hamMelaḥ''; ar, اَلْبَحْرُ الْمَيْتُ, ''Āl-Baḥrū l-Maytū''), also known by other names, is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank ...
,
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, fed by the waters of the Dead Sea and is now permanently closed due to sinkholes that threaten the area. It provided health by the four elements of the area: water, air, sun, and mud. The
spa
A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...
had hot pools that are filled with sulphur water. It was previously a famous attraction on the shore of the Dead Sea.
The spa was known for its
unpleasant odor
An odor (American English) or odour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds that are generally found in low concentrations that humans and animals can perceive via their sense ...
resulting from the
sulphur
Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...
springs. However, it still drew large crowds who believed in its health benefits.
The spa was run by the
Ein Gedi Kibbutz
Ein Gedi ( he, עֵין גֶּדִי, ''lit.'' Kid Spring) is a kibbutz on the western shore of the Dead Sea in Israel. Located on the edge of the Judean desert at the site of historic Ein Gedi, it falls under the jurisdiction of Tamar Regional ...
.
Initially built directly along the shoreline of the Dead Sea, due to the sea's shrinkage, the spa was quite a distance from the lake due to ongoing evaporation of the Dead Sea.
[ Unfortunately the Spa is now closed and desolated]
Dead Sea shrinking by 1 meter every year
Indianexpress.com (2009-08-27). Retrieved on 2010-11-13.
The annual
Ein Gedi Race Ein Gedi race, also known as the ''Shalom Marathon – Dead Sea Half Marathon'' is an Israeli road running event held by the Tamar Regional Council since 1983. The starting point for all races is the Ein Gedi Spa, east of Jerusalem and 4 kilomete ...
starts off at the spa's location.
See also
*
Medical tourism in Israel Medical tourism in Israel is medical tourism in which people travel to Israel for medical treatment, which is emerging as an important destination for medical tourists.
*
Tourism in Israel
Tourism in Israel is one of Israel's major sources of income, with a record 4.55 million tourist arrivals in 2019, and, in 2017, contributed NIS 20 billion to the Israeli economy making it an all-time record. Israel offers a plethora of historica ...
*
Dead Sea products Dead Sea products refers to cosmetic products based on materials extracted from the Dead Sea, such as salt, mud, and potash.
History
Ziva Gilad, a spa technician, came up with the idea of marketing Dead Sea mud after watching women tourists scoopi ...
References
{{coord, 31, 25, 2.42, N, 35, 22, 45.41, E, region:IL, display=title
Dead Sea
Buildings and structures in Southern District (Israel)
Tourist attractions in Israel
Spas
Tourist attractions in Southern District (Israel)