Moynaq ship graveyard, Ship graveyard in Moynaq, Uzbekistan
The ship graveyard in Moynaq is a collection of abandoned fishing boats scattered across the desert where the Aral Sea coastline once lay. Steel hulls emerge from the sand, some tilted on their sides and others still upright, all covered in rust and faded by the sun.
The boats were left behind in the 1960s when Soviet irrigation projects diverted rivers and the Aral Sea rapidly withdrew. Within three decades the water disappeared entirely from this area and left the vessels many kilometers from the new shore.
The abandoned vessels serve as a backdrop for local photographers and artists who document the story of the lost fishing community. Visitors often see small memorials and inscriptions left by descendants of former crews who still live in the area and remember the maritime era.
The site lies about 200 kilometers north of Nukus and is reached by unpaved roads that can become difficult in wet conditions. A small museum in town displays photographs and objects from when fishing was still practiced here.
An annual electronic music festival called Stihia transforms the wrecks into an open-air concert stage under the desert sky. The event draws musicians and visitors who dance among the rusted hulls and experience an unusual connection between industrial decay and modern art.
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