Kathmandu: A monument containing a stone from the Dead Sea in Israel has been placed in Nepal`s Mount Everest region in a tourism initiative linking the lowest and highest points on Earth.
The Dead Sea Monument created by Israeli artist Jojo Ohayon, was brought all the way from the Dead Sea to Kathmandu by Mayor of Tamar Regional Council of Israel, Dov Litvinoff and on Tuesday was taken to the Sagarmatha National Park containing the southern half of Mount Everest.
The Dead Sea situated at 422 metres below sea level, is known as the lowest point on Earth, whereas the 8,848-metre tall Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
The monument made of hard metal consisting of two pieces of Dead Sea stones, is two feet in length and one-and-a-half feet in width.
On May 16, in a reciprocal event, a monument consisting of an idol of Mount Everest will be installed near the Dead Sea, completing the link between the two extreme points on Earth.
This will help promote tourism and culture of both Nepal and Israel, said Israeli Ambassador to Nepal, Hanan Goder speaking at a press meet in Kathmandu today.
"We are very happy to announce that the monument of Dead Sea has been placed on top of the world," he said.
"We need to save the environment in the Himalayas as well as the Dead Sea, to check the impact of climate change, and the monuments will spread the message about this," he said.
The monuments are being installed to mark the diamond jubilee of the first human ascent on the Everest, next month.
In September 2012, postage stamps depicting Mount Everest and the Dead Sea were released simultaneously in Nepal and Israel to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
PTI
