The town where a vanished sea became a tourist attraction

Moynaq, a town in Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan, is an unusual tourist destination owing to its connection with the Aral Sea tragedy. Once a bustling fishing port, Moynaq now offers visitors a glimpse into the drastic changes brought about by the once mighty Aral Sea’s retreat.

The Aral Sea, at one point the world’s fourth-largest inland body of water, has shrunk dramatically since the 1960s. To boost agriculture, the Soviet Union diverted water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers to irrigate cotton fields. This severe reduction in water flow led to the sea’s dramatic decline by the 1980s and 1990s, causing Moynaq to lose its status as a seaside town.

What remains speaks volumes of the town’s past. The Moynaq Ship Graveyard, or Ship Cemetery, is a cluster of rusting fishing vessels resting where the sea once lay. It has become the town’s most recognisable attraction, luring photographers, travellers, and those wishing to understand the environmental catastrophe.

Visitors can walk on what used to be the seabed, surrounded by the Aralkum Desert, the new desert born as the Aral Sea receded. Despite not completely disappearing, the Aral Sea has receded significantly from Moynaq, leaving the former port far away from the current shoreline.

Uzbekistan’s tourism authorities include the Aralkum Desert, the former seaport, and Aral Sea museums among Moynaq’s attractions. The town now boasts a modern addition in the form of the Stihia festival, an electronic music, art, and science event that highlights the Aral Sea’s environmental crisis.

However, the primary allure remains the abandoned boats, a stark reminder of the ecosystem, industry, and lifestyle that vanished. Moynaq, now a destination where the biggest attraction is something no longer present, is a poignant reminder of the far-reaching impact of ecological mismanagement.