From Sea to Sand: Documenting, Protecting and Reimagining the Cultural Heritage of Moynaq and the Aral Sea

Project Overview

Once a thriving fishing port on the shores of the Aral Sea, Moynaq today stands as one of the most striking examples of environmental transformation in the world. The disappearance of the sea has reshaped not only the landscape, but also the cultural, social, and economic fabric of the region. From Sea to Sand is a cultural heritage initiative that responds to this transformation by documenting, safeguarding, and reinterpreting the heritage of Moynaq and the Aral Sea region. Through research, community engagement, and public dissemination, the project connects local experience with global debates on climate change, memory, and resilience. ABOUT THE PROJECT — Purpose and Vision From Sea to Sand is dedicated to preserving and revitalising the cultural heritage of the Aral Sea region, with a particular focus on Moynaq and surrounding communities. The project addresses both tangible and intangible heritage, recognising that cultural identity is deeply embedded in knowledge systems, practices, and lived experience. The initiative seeks not only to document what is disappearing, but also to support communities in maintaining, adapting, and transmitting their heritage in the face of environmental and social change.

The Challenge

WHY MOYNAQ / WHY THE ARAL SEA Moynaq was once a vibrant port city, sustained by fishing, trade, and maritime culture. The retreat of the Aral Sea transformed it into a desert landscape, leaving behind abandoned ships and disrupted livelihoods. Yet, beyond the visible remnants of the past, the region retains a rich and complex cultural heritage: • knowledge of fishing techniques and ecosystems • social practices and communal traditions • stories, memories, and identities linked to the sea The project approaches Moynaq not only as a site of loss, but as a living archive of cultural adaptation. It highlights how communities continue to interpret their past and navigate their future in a transformed environment.

Objectives

• Documentation: systematic collection of oral histories, traditional knowledge, and cultural practices linked to the Aral Sea.

• Safeguarding: identification and assessment of cultural heritage elements at risk, and development of strategies for their protection.

• Transmission: support for intergenerational knowledge transfer through education, workshops, and community engagement.

• Research and knowledge production: promotion of local research and interdisciplinary approaches to heritage and environmental change.

• Public engagement: dissemination of results through exhibitions, publications, and media in order to raise awareness at local, national and international levels.

Activity of the project

• Field research and systematic documentation of oral histories and practices tied to the sea and Moynaq.

• Heritage risk assessment and co-design of safeguarding strategies with communities and partners.

• Workshops and educational formats that strengthen intergenerational transmission.

• Public dissemination through exhibitions, publications and media to connect local stories with wider audiences.