DEAD SEA
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From Ancient Beginnings to Present Wonder
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51 BC
Cleopatra's beauty routines, in particular, are still talked about, centuries and millennia after her reign. The sea salts acted as exfoliating agents in many of her wondrous and legendary skin treatments, while the black mud of the Dead Sea helped Cleopatra maintain her youthful appearance, earning her a renowned reputation. The remarkable flora and fauna around the Dead Sea, such as the Alpine Rose, thrived despite the harsh environment, and Cleopatra wisely incorporated them into her beauty regimen.
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BIBLICAL PERIOD
Steeped in biblical history, it is believed that the Queen of Sheba was the first to discover the mystical healing powers of the Dead Sea. Later, Cleopatra traveled from Egypt to build the world's first spa on the shores of the sea. It is reported that she made several attempts to purchase and acquire the sea for Egypt, as she attributed her renowned beauty to the secrets of the Dead Sea and all it had to offer.
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GREEK & ROMAN PERIOD
The Dead Sea served as one of the world's first health resorts for the Romans, with regular patronage from Herod the Great, while the Egyptians relied on it for purchasing asphalt for mummification and potash for fertilisers.
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MODERN TIMES
The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the Mediterranean Basin for thousands of years. Today, tourists visit the sea on its Israeli, Jordanian and West Bank coastlines.
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7,000 YEARS OLD SALT CAVE: THE LONGEST OF ITS KIND
Aside from the Dead Sea itself, the longest salt cave also exists at the southern corner, stretching over a length of 10 km. The Salt Cave discovery presents a phenomenon at a global level, as the rest of the caves known in the world are only hundreds of meters long. Being 7,000 years old, the Salt Cave is not open for visits by the general public, and every entry requires an escort from a cave specialist familiar with the cave.
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HALOTHERAPY, SALT ROOM THERAPY
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The History of Salt-Based Healing​
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INTRODUCTION
Halotherapy is a therapeutic method that replicates salt cave conditions. It is said that Hippocrates recognised the therapeutic properties of salt mines.
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THE BEGINNINGS
Modern applications of Halotherapy have been traced back to the writings of a Polish physician, Dr. Felix Bochkowsky, in 1843. Dr. Bochkowsky worked at the ancient Wieliczka salt mine near Krakow, Poland, where he observed that miners didn't suffer from respiratory problems, characteristic of those working in other types of mines. He became the first to officially publish findings on Halotherapy. Dr. Bochkowsky also established the world's first health facility in Poland, specializing in respiratory disorders and general well-being.
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RISE OF HALOTHERAPY
In Russia (as in other European countries), shortages of medical supplies during wartime spurred reliance on natural traditional methods of healing, which were frequently integrated with allopathic medicine after World War II. In the 1980s, the Russians began building halochambers lined with halite, which mimicked the microclimate of salt caves. With increased scientific attention, such chambers became certified as medical devices in Russia and are said to have been adapted for use by the Russian space agency in microclimate optimization devices used by cosmonauts.
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HALOTHERAPY TODAY
Many who have benefited from Halotherapy claim its effectiveness in reducing over-reliance on medications and credit Halotherapy for clear skin. Israel has an eons-old history of therapeutic exposure to saltwater (thalassotherapy) and salt air environments, particularly the Dead Sea, for health enhancement. Israel even established the country's largest salt-room therapy clinic and Research and Development Center in September 2009. Today, the popularity of Halotherapy has also spread across Europe and into other continents, such as the Middle East, Asia, and even Oceania.
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