Muynak Ship Graveyard, Ship graveyard in Moynaq, Uzbekistan
Muynak Ship Graveyard sits on the former seabed and displays rusted fishing boats scattered across white salt-covered grounds. The site marks where the Aral Sea once stretched before it disappeared.
In the 1960s, Soviet irrigation projects diverted water from the Aral Sea for cotton production. This led to the sea's retreat and the collapse of the city's fishing industry.
The local museum displays photographs and fishing equipment that document the life of this former port community. The exhibits tell the story of when this area was still shaped by the sea.
The site is best reached through organized day trips from Khiva, with tours taking several hours. Proper preparation for long travel times and desert conditions is necessary.
The boats rest about 180 kilometers from the current shore, anchored in desert sand. This dramatic scale shows how quickly a sea can disappear under human influence.
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