The Aral Sea was once the largest closed saltwater lake in Central Asia. Until the 1960s, it covered an area of approximately 68,000 km², making it the fourth-largest was inland sea in the world and the second-largest on the Eurasian continent (after the Caspian Sea). Its vast size led to it being called a "sea», However, during the Soviet era, large volumes of water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers were diverted for agricultural irrigation, particular for cotton plantations. As a result, the Aral Sea has lost nearly 90% of its water over the past 60 years. This dramatic shrinkage has led to increased salinity, causing the extinction of many plants and anial species in and around the lake. The local climate has also changed, bringing hotter summers and colder, drier winters.

By 1989, due to the sharp decline in water levels, the Aral Sea split into two separate bodies:

 • The North (Small) Aral Sea

 • The South (Large) Aral Sea

In 2014, the eastern part of the South Aral Sea dried up completely, leaving only 7,297 km² of water. Although temporary spring floods in 2015 briefly increased the area to 10,780 km², it soon shrank again, measuring 8,303 km² by autumn of the same year.Over the past 40 years, the area of ​​the Aral Sea has decreased nearly fourfold. The salinity of its waters has skyrocketed from 9-10 g/L to 70-84 g/L. Meanwhile, the coastline has retreated by 80 to 100 km, exposing over 4.5 million hectares of the former seabed. Today, the Aral Sea is divided into three separate parts. By the 1980s, the once-thriving fishing town of Moynak, one of Uzbekistan's key Aral Sea ports, was left stranded from the water's edge. Today its landscpape is dominated  by rusting ships abandoned in the desert, earning it the eerie title of "ship graveyard".

The disappearance of the Aral Sea has been recognized as one of the greatest environmental disasters in modern history. Scientists, activists, and international organizations continue to study its effects, while travelers from around the world visit the region to witness this haunting transformation firsthand. Despite its tragic past, the Aral Sea region now offers unique tourism opportunities. Visitors can explore historical routes, visit Moynak, and learn about the ongoing efforts to combat desertification and restore parts of the ecosystem.