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Ancient Port

Lechaion

leh-KAY-on · Modern Lechaio, near Corinth, Greece · 37.9327° N, 22.8875° E

Lechaion was the western harbor of ancient Corinth, connected to the city by fortified Long Walls, and served as Corinth's gateway to trade with Italy and the western Mediterranean. Corinth's dual-port system (Lechaion west, Cenchreae east) made it a great commercial crossroads, the kind of trade hub reflected in Paul's eighteen-month ministry there.

Archaeology

Excavations uncovered a massive Early Christian basilica (5th century), one of the largest in mainland Greece. More recent underwater fieldwork has documented the harbor's monumental ashlar moles, a breakwater, and rare wooden caissons from an early Byzantine mole; precise dating and full extent of some harbor phases remain areas of ongoing research.

View from the entrance of the Lechaion Basilica archaeological site, near Corinth, Greece
View from the entrance of the Lechaion Basilica archaeological site, near Corinth, Greece — source & licence
Byzantine Ionic capitals among the ruins of the Lechaion Basilica
Byzantine Ionic capitals among the ruins of the Lechaion Basilica — source & licence

On a modern map

Lechaion today

Further reading

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