Great Bitter Lake
The Great Bitter Lake (Arabic: البحيرة المرة الكبرى; transliterated: al-Buḥayrah al-Murra al-Kubrā) is a large saltwater lake in Egypt which is part of the Suez Canal. Before the canal was built in 1869, the Great Bitter Lake was a dry salt valley or basin. References are made to the Great Bitter Lake in the ancient Pyramid Texts.
| Great Bitter Lake | |
|---|---|
| البحيرة المرة الكبرى (Arabic) | |
The Great Bitter Lake from low orbit (north is left) | |
Great Bitter Lake | |
| Location | Suez Canal |
| Coordinates | 30°19′21″N 32°22′57″E |
| Lake type | salt lake |
| Primary inflows | Suez Canal |
| Primary outflows | Suez Canal |
| Basin countries | Egypt |
| First flooded | 1869 |
| Max. length | 24 km (15 mi) |
| Max. width | 13 km (8.1 mi) |
| Surface area | 194 km2 (75 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 18 m (59 ft) |
| Max. depth | 28 m (92 ft) |
| Salinity | 41‰ |
| Surface elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Settlements | Fayed Abou Sultan |
The canal connects the Great Bitter Lake to the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. The canal also connects it to the Small Bitter Lake (Arabic: البحيرة المرة الصغرى; transliterated: al-Buhayrah al-Murra as-Sughra).
Ships traveling through the Suez Canal use the Great Bitter Lake as a "passing lane", where they can pass other ships or turn around.
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