Qaraqalpaqs folklore drawing of five women dressed in traditional clothing by Dinara Mirtalipova mirdinara, holding teapots and cups, with various teapots and cups placed around them, on a blue background.

The People of Aral:

The people of the Aral are mostly Qaraqalpaqs, the most resilient communities who continue to adapt to life in an environment where access to clean water is limited.

A woman in traditional qaraqalpaq outfit, blue embroidered dress walking outside between yurts in a desert landscape of the Aral Sea, photo by Dinara Mirtalipova.

A young qaraqalpaq woman wearing a blue embroidered traditional dress and matching headscarf standing in front of a yurt in a desert landscape of current Aral Sea or The Aral Sea Desert. photo by Dinara Mirtalipova.

I met this young lady during my trip to the remnants of the Aral Sea. We couldn’t speak the same language as she spoke only Qaraqalpaq not much Russian or English. She gracefully showed me a traditional dress she had sewn and embroidered herself, its patterns carrying the colors and stories of her culture.

Illustration of ancient Uzbek or Qaraqalpaq people by Dinara Mirtalipova for The Vanishing Sea the Tale of How the Aral Sea became the Aral Desert, taking water from the Aral Sea with pottery near the blue Aral Sea with clouds.

A sheep standing at the Aral Desert, a photo taken by Dinara Mirtalipova during her research trip to the Aral Sea. Moynak, Nukus.

A large herd of sheep and goats resting on sandy ground in an open Aral Desert landscape under a clear blue sky. Photo taken by Dinara Mirtalipova during her research for The Vanishing Sea book about The Aral Sea

A shepherd Man standing in dry, flat Aral Desert landscape with cattle grazing in the background under clear blue sky. Photo taken by Dinara Mirtalipova during her research for The Vanishing Sea book about The Aral Sea

He told us that when his grandfather lived here, there was still plenty of water, so much that children would swim every day.

Now, it’s nothing but dry desert.

I met this shepherd on the way back from my journey. As we drove through the emptiness, we noticed a herd of sheep in the middle of nowhere and stopped to speak with him.

A stylized folk illustration of a qaraqalpaq woman by Dinara Mirtalipova with two traditional ceramic vessels, all decorated with patterns in black, white, and shades of brown, set against a reddish-brown background. Aral Sea book, The Vanishing Sea

A qaraqalpaq fisherman with a beard, wearing a white robe and striped pants, standing on water while holding a fishing pole with three fish hanging on a line against a blue background. Illustration by Dinara Mirtalipova for the Vanishing Sea book

Qaraqalpaq Woman with dark hair wearing a leopard print dress sitting at a wooden table in an indoor setting with a rustic ambiance

Desert landscape with colorful layered rock formations under a clear blue sky.

This woman prepared the most delicious meals for me during my stay. The energy comes from solar power and is used sparingly, electricity is turned on only during meal preparation. Water is delivered by buckets.

Aral desert landscape at sunrise with qaraqalpaq yurts arranged in a line, photo by Dinara Mirtalipova for The Aral Sea book

A man with short gray hair and a serious expression standing in front of two large white tents in a desert environment.

This man looked after the yurt camp where I stayed. He told me not to miss the sunrise at 4 am, it’s the most beautiful and peaceful moment of the day, when everything is silent and the desert glows with soft golden light.

My Caravanner, Kasim-oka

This was my driver, Kasim-oka whom I hired to take me to the edge of the Aral Sea. I called him a Caravanner and he loved it!. He navigated the vast desert with so much ease with no GPS, no signal, guided only by memory and instinct. Watching him move across that endless landscape was astonishing.