Great Bitter Lake
| Great Bitter Lake | |
|---|---|
| البحيرة المرة الكبرى (Arabic) | |
The Great Bitter Lake from low orbit (north is left) | |
| Location | Suez Canal |
| Coordinates | 30°19′21″N 32°22′57″E / 30.32250°N 32.38250°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 | 4.1% |
| Surface elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Settlements | Fayed Abou Sultan |
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.
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.