Introducing Moynaq
Moynaq, 210km north of Nukus, encapsulates more visibly than anywhere the absurd tragedy of the Aral Sea. Once one of the sea’s two major fishing ports, it now stands more than 150km from the water. What remains of Moynaq’s fishing fleet lies rusting on the sand, beside depressions marking the town’s last futile efforts in the early 1980s to keep channels open to the shore.
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Moynaq used to be on an isthmus connecting the Ush Say (Tiger’s Tail) peninsula to the shore. You can appreciate this on the approach to the town, where the road is raised above the surrounding land. The former shore is about 3km north.
Moynaq’s shrinking populace suffers the full force of the Aral Sea disaster, with hotter summers, colder winters, debilitating sand-salt-dust storms, and a gamut of health problems. Not surprisingly, the mostly Kazakh residents are deserting the town.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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Re: aral sea excursion
by jandaniel 10 September 2011
HI, actually I'm in Bukhara, heading to Khiva tomorrow. I like to go to the Aral lake as well. As alternative I would just go to Moynaq.…
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RE: aral sea excursion
by CentralAsia_traveler 10 September 2011
Do a search here for postings with Moynaq and/or Nukus. Some other folks have reported good rates for a trip arranged through the Jibek…
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RE: how to to Moynaq
by Giora 23 August 2011
There are fairly frequent minibuses which travel between Urgench and Nukus. They leave from the main public transport depot in the middle…
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