Ship Graveyard in Muynak

If you have already visited the main sights of Uzbekistan and want to see something new, or are simply looking for unusual travel routes, then the ship graveyard in Muynak is exactly what you need.

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Non-touristy Uzbekistan. A ship graveyard in the middle of the desert

A small area near the town of Muynak in western Uzbekistan is called the ship graveyard. Here you can see several rusted vessels lying right on the sand, while no coastline is visible here.

The appearance of such an unusual attraction is connected with the events of the second half of the last century. In the 1950s, a decision was made to expand the irrigation network to increase the number of cotton fields. Water from the rivers of the Aral Sea basin was used more and more actively, and this led to a drop in the water level of the reservoir. If in 1960-65 the level dropped by 91 centimeters, then after a few decades this figure increased almost 15 times.

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Today, only old maps and rusting vessels remind of the sea coast here. Despite the fact that there are relatively few tourists here, those travelers who make it to Muynak definitely head to the ships to take some unusual photos. If desired, you can climb aboard some of the ships, but you should not forget about safety rules.

Every year, the "Stihia" electronic music festival is held here. This event is intended to draw the attention of the world community to the problems of the region.

Some travelers get to Muynak by car, but if you do not have your own car, you can fly from Tashkent to the city of Nukus, and from there take a taxi or bus to Muynak. Visiting the site is free. There is a museum nearby; to visit it, you will need to buy a separate ticket.

Judging by online maps, there are several hotels near the ship graveyard; it is better to look for information about them in advance.

If you are going to Muynak via Nukus, you can drop by the I. V. Savitsky Museum of Art. It is called the "Louvre in the Desert".