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| uzb .: Mo‘ynoq, Russian .: Муйнак | ||
| Autonomous Republic | Karakalpakistan | |
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| Residents | 18.196 (2012) | |
| height | 50 m | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Moynaq (Uzbek Mo'ynoq ) is a city in Karakalpakistan in the western Uzbekistan. The city was once an important fishing center on the Aral Sea and is now about 80 kilometers from the shore in the middle of a desert. Today the city exudes a rather morbid charm with its decommissioned canning plants and the shipwrecks in the sand.
background
Hard to imagine today, but Moynaq used to be on an island in the Amu Darya Delta and surrounded by jungle. The economic boom began in the 1930s with the opening of the first fish canning factory. At peak times, the factory had up to 20,000 employees. More fish factories followed. Moynaq then witnessed the ecological disaster that unfolded on the Aral Sea. The lake was once one of the largest lakes in the world. After more and more water was diverted from the two main tributaries Amudarja and Syrdarja for the cultivation of cotton in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan from the 1960s, the water level fell and the salt lake became too saline. Today there are only small residual lakes in the north and west. Instead of the Aral Sea there is now the Aralkum called desert. The desert is also contaminated by toxins from the pesticides used in cotton cultivation that were washed into the Aral Sea. The result is a toxic climate and contaminated water, which are responsible for many diseases and high child mortality rates. The area is the poorest region in Uzbekistan.
getting there
Of Nukus by taxi (in front of the train station), as a day tour around US $ 50. Shared taxi to Kungrad (approx. 1¼ hours), then continue with Marshrutka (together US $ 5-6). There are two direct morning buses from the southern bus station in Nukus. The drive from Nukus takes about 3 hours in one direction.
Return journeys, buses depart from the bazaar, should be started by 3:00 p.m., after about 5:00 p.m. there is only the option of renting a taxi.
Tourist Attractions
Dynamic cards
- 1 Ship graveyard. The ship cemetery is located below a former lookout point over the coast where a few documentation boards about the catastrophe at the Aral Sea are located. The last fishing boats (less than 10) that were not dismantled by scrap metal hunters were brought together here in 2008 and can be viewed. Sturdy shoes are necessary, as it is easy to get injured on rusty metal.
- 2 Dilapidated canning factory. At the entrance, a mosaic still shows Moynaq's ideal socialist image. The site can be entered, but the building can only be viewed from the outside. Some of the old machines and empty tin cans can still be seen through the windows.
- Museum in the House of Culture. Open: sporadically.
activities
Some travel agencies (e.g. in Nukus) offer excursions via Moynaq to what is now the shores of the Aral Sea, 80 kilometers away. Since Moynaq only continues on a dust track, at least one night in a tent in the desert must be planned.
shop
There is a small market open on Fridays. Consumption of local food and drinks is not recommended for health reasons (see Staying Healthy).
kitchen
accommodation
Due to the dangerous situation caused by the poisoned climate (see Staying Healthy), Moynaq should only be visited for a day trip and it is better to stay in Nukus.
- Hotel Oybek, 30 Kazakhbayev Str. (Only house on the square, "rustic" furnishings, communal toilets. Obtained OVIR registration. 100 m from the bus stop, behind the police station). Tel.: 998 (361) 322 1868. Price: approx US $ 10 (trade!).
- Private accommodations
security
health
Limit contact with and inhalation of the sand contaminated by pesticides and other toxic deposits and often blown up by the wind as much as possible. Only food and drinks that have been brought with you should be consumed. The water in Moynaq is also classified as harmful and should not be used for washing.
