Corinth - Corinth Canal

Corinth was founded in the Neolithic period, around 5000 BC.
It possessed a unique strategic position on the narrow Isthmus and so the city controlled trade routes between mainland Greece and Peloponnese. Powerful colonies like Syracuse and Corcyra were established across the sea. After a paved ship trackway was built, ships could cross the land, avoiding dangerous capes. In the 5th century BC, it fought against Persian invasion forces. During the Peloponnesian War Corinth joined Sparta to defeat Athens and so protect its economic dominance. Later, the city fought Sparta during the Corinthian War. In 146 BC, Roman commander Lucius Mummius attacked the defiant city. The Roman army completely destroyed Corinth and enslaved its citizens. For a century, the historic site remained a desolated ghost town. Julius Caesar refounded it as a Roman colony in 44 BC. Barbarian tribes looted Corinth later on. Under Byzantine rule, it served as a strong military center. The Ottoman Empire captured the city's fortress in 1458. A catastrophic earthquake completely ruined Old Corinth in the year 1858. Modern Corinth was successfully rebuilt six kilometers away from the ruins.

The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Completed in 1893, it cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese peninsula from the Greek mainland.
It is 6.4 kilometres in length and at 24.6 metres wide at sea level, it is impassable for many modern ships. It is currently mainly a tourist attraction.