Ancient Corinth – Points of Interest

Opening Hours:

• April 19^th – August 31^st:                8:00am-8:00pm
• September 1^st-September 15^th:      8:00am-7:30pm
• September 16^th-September 30^th:    8:00am-7:00pm
• October 1^st-October 15^th:              8:00am-6:30pm
• October 16^th-October 31^st:            8:00am-4:00pm
• November 1^st-January 2^nd:            8:30am-3:30pm(Hours might differ – For Clarification you can contact +30-27410-31207)

• Good Friday:                                12:00pm-5:00pm
• Holy Saturday:                              8:30am-4:00pm

• Holidays:   CLOSED
  • January 1^st
  • March 25^th
  • May 1^st
  • Easter Sunday
  • December 25^th,26^th

Ticket Price:

Full Regular:                                      8 €
Reduced:                                             4 €

Tickets for both the Museum and the Archaeological Site. Discount tickets (4€) for special categories of visitors.

Free Admission Days*
Reduced Admission For**
Free Admission For***

Find Information at the end of the page

Corinth Canal

The Corinth Canal or “Dhioryga tis Korinthou” consist of a single channel  8m-26ft deep, measuring 6,343m-20810ft long by 24.6m-81ft wide at the top and 21.3m-70^th wide at the bottom. It connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Separates the Greek mainland into two parts. At the South of the Canal is the Peloponnese and at the North is the rest of the Greek mainland.

The construction of the Canal started in 1881, even if was first proposed by the tyrant Periander in the 7^th century BC and initially proposed in the 1^st century AD with a failed effort to be built. The first builders who attempted to open the Corinth Canal went bankrupt and finally it was completed in 1893.

Aprox 11,000 ships pas per year from the Corinth Canal on an one-way system.

Ancient Corinth

The Ancient Corinth was occupied from 6500 BC and continually occupied into the Early Bronze Age when it acted as a trade center. It appears that the area was very separately inhabited in the period immediately before the Mycenaean period. There was a settlement on the coast near Lechaion which traded across the Corintian Gulf.

Some say that the city was found by Corinthos , a descendant of the god Zeus, while some others that Ephyra, a daughter of the Titan Oceanus, was the one who found Corinth. The city was destroyed around 2000BC. During the Trojan War the Corintians participated under the leadership of Agamemnon.

In a Corinthian myth recounted to Pausanias in the 2^nd century AD, Briareus, one of the Hecatonchries, was the arbitrator in a dispute between Poseidon and Helios, between the sea and the sun. His verdict was that the Isthmus of Corinth belonged to Poseidon and the acropolis of Corinth (Acrocorinth) belonged to Helios. Thus, Greeks of the Classical age accounted for the archaic sult of the sun-titan in the highest part of the site.

Erastus Stone

Erastus was one of the men who helped Apostle Paul bringing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the Gentile nations. Erastus is mentioned briefly in THE BIBLE in Romans which says:

“Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.”

According to THE BIBLE, Erastus was also one of the earliest Evangelists who spread the gospel of the Gentiles.

The letters at the Erastus Stone were originally filled with bronze, but most of that was removed long time ago.

Roman Music Hall

The Roman Music Hall was constructed in the 1^st century AD. It is estimated to hold an audience of 3,000 spectators. It was renovated in the 2^nd century AD due to a donation from the famous philosopher Herodes Atticus and on the 3^rd century AD it was converted into an arena. In the 4^th century AD it was destroyed and abandoned.  

Heroon of the Crossroads Shine

On the hillside where the Bema of the Roman Forum was later built and alongside a road leading southward to Acrocorinth, a cemetery had been delevoped during the Geometric period (1050 – 720 B.C.)
Later on, during the Early Corinthian period (620 – 590 B.C.) one of the cemetery’s graves was looted; it was the grave of an arthritic male, about 40-45 years old and 1.72 meters tall. As a direct result of this action, a cult activity started on the site, presumably because the Corinthians feared pollution from the looting of the grave.

A few years after, in the Middle Corinthian period (590 – 570 B.C.), a small rectangular open-air enclosure was built over grave 72-4. The height of its poros wall can be restored to just above eye-level. The various and valuable votive offerings found inside the temenos suggest that the dead man was venerated as a hero.
The temenos remained in use until the destruction of Corinth in 146 B.C. and was damaged by the laying of the bedding for the paving of the Roman Forum.

Temple of Apollon

The temple of Apollo at Corinth is one of the earliest Doric temples in the Greek mainland. Built around 560 B.C.E., of local otolithic limestone on top of an imposing, rocky hill to the north of Acrocorinth. The temple was surrounded by a pteron of 42 monolithic, limestone columns, over 7 m. high. Its central structure was divided into three parts: an antechamber with two columns in antis, a central oblong, rectangular room subdivided into two parts, and a rear room with two columns in antis.

In the Roman period, the Temple of Apollo was renovated in order to house the cult of the Emperor. In the Byzantine era a basilica was built on the northeast part of the Temple Hill, whereas in the Ottoman period, the eastern part of the Temple was demolished and a new residence of the local Turkish Bey was built on top of its crepis

The Theatre of Ancient Corinth

The first Theatre of Ancient Corinth was started building in the end of the 5^th century BC. It was built on a natural slope, the seats were from stone and the stage was wooden. It had 66 rows and it’s capacity was estimated aprox 18,000 spectators. The Theatre was rebuilt in the 1^st century AD and then it was reconstructed on the 2^nd century BC.  The proscenium was decorated with painted sculptures, north from this a fountain was constructed and the façade of the theatre’s stage building was a series of 15 relief tablets, dated back from 125-150 AD.

In the 3^rd century the theatre was turned into an arena for beast fights. There were opened three underground spaces for the gladiators and the first 10 rows were removed. The arena was surrounded by a wall with frescoes depicting animal hunting. The last time that the theatre was used is estimated back in 396 AD.

Acrocorinth – Castle of Ancient Corinth

The Acrocorinth, the acropolis of the Ancient Corinth, is one of the most important medieval castle cities of Greece. It was continuously occupied from archaic times since the early 19^th century. Acrocorinth was one of the three fortresses that garrisoned by the Macedonians in order to secure their control of the Greek city-states.

Afterwards it became a fortress of the Venetians and the Ottoman Turks. Acrocorinth was used as the last line of defense in the southern Greece. Three circuit walls formed the man-made defense of the hill. At the highest part of the hill was the Temple of Aphrodite.

INFORMATION FOR THE ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE

*Free Admission Days:         

• March 6^th :                                    In memory of Melina Mercouri
• April 18^th:                                     International Monuments Day
• May 18^th:                                      International Museums Day
• The last weekend of September:   European Heritage Day
• Every 1^st Sunday – November 1^st-March 31^st      

**Reduced Admission For:

• Escorting parents on educational visits of primary schools.
• Students of University – Higher Education Institutes, Technological Educational Institutes or equivalent Schools of countries from outside the European Union, upon presentation of their student ID cards

***Free Admission For:

• Cultural Card holders
• Escorting teachers during educational visits of schools and institutions of primary, secondary and tertiary education and of military schools.
• Holders of a free pass
• Members of Societies and Associations of Friends of Museums and Archaeological Sites, upon presentation of their certified membership card.
• Members of the ICON-ICOMOS, upon presentation of their membership card
• Official guests of the Greek State, after approval from the General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage
• Students of University – Higher Education Institutes, Technological Educational Institutes, Military Schools or equivalent Schools of EU member states, as well as Schools of Guides, upon presentation of their student identity card
• The employees of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Archaeological Receipts Fund, upon presentation of their service ID card.

Young people, up to the age of 18, upon presentation of their Identity Card or passport for age confirmation

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