CHAT TOURS: Ancient Corinth Half-Day Morning
Depart 8:45am/Return approximately 2:00pm
Departures: Apr. – Oct.2016 -Every Mon & Fri
Depart Athens and drive westwards along the scenic coast and visit the Corinth Canal with its breathtaking views. The Corinth Canal is a junction of international sea transport that serves ships coming from the western Mediterranean and Adriatic en-route to the eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea ports and vice-versa. The Corinth Canal intersects the Isthmus of Corinth and has a length of almost 4 miles. The minimum width of the canal at sea level is 80 feet and has bottom width of 68 feet.Continue to the ancient town of Corinth and visit the site where St. Paul lived and preached for two years.
The site of ancient Corinth was first inhabited during the Neolithic period (5000-3000 B.C.). Corinth flourished from the 8th century B.C. and lasted until its destruction by the Roman general Mummius in 146 B.C. An example of the town’s wealth is the Doric temple of Apollo which was built in 550 B.C. The city was re-inhabited in 44 B.C. and gradually grew again. In 51-52 A.D, the center of the Roman city was organized to the south of the temple of Apollo and included shops, small shrines, fountains, baths and other public buildings. The invasion of the Herulians in A.D. 267, initiated the decline of the city. Corinth remained inhabited for many centuries and suffered a sequence of invasions and destruction, until it was liberated from the Turks in 1822.
Continue to the ancient port of Kechreai where St. Paul disembarked – return to Athens in time for lunch