The Corinth Canal, stretching 6.4 kilometers (about 4 miles) through limestone rock, is a narrow waterway that connects the Gulf of Corinth to the Saronic Gulf. The canal cuts through the Isthmus of Corinth, separating the Greek mainland from the Peloponnese peninsula and effectively turning it into an island. The structure has steep limestone walls rising up to 90 meters (around 300 feet) above the water, with a surface width of 25 meters (about 82 feet) that narrows to 21 meters (around 69 feet) at the water level. The canal reaches a depth of 7.3 meters (about 24 feet), making it suitable only for small vessels. The idea of a canal through the Isthmus dates back to the 7th century BCE, when the Corinthian tyrant Periander considered the project but abandoned it due to its scale. Instead, he built the Diolkos, a paved road where ships were rolled on carts from one gulf to the other. The concept was revisited in 67 CE by Roman Emperor Nero, who started construction using Jewish prisoners captured during the First Jewish-Roman War. However, the project was halted after Nero's death in 68 CE and remained abandoned for nearly 1,800 years. Modern construction of the canal began in 1881, led by Hungarian engineer István Türr. After a financial crisis forced a Greek businessman, Andreas Syngrós, to take over the project, the works continued under engineer Béla Gerster. The canal was officially inaugurated on July 25, 1893, in the presence of King George I of Greece. However, commercial traffic didn't begin until November of that year, delayed by landslides that blocked the canal shortly after its opening. Today, the Corinth Canal is mainly used by tourist ships, yachts, and small cruise vessels, with around 11,000 ships passing through annually. However, its dimensions—24.6 meters wide and 7.3 meters deep—are far too small for modern container ships and tankers, which are much larger. In 2019, the cruise ship MS Braemar became the largest ship to pass through the canal, with only a few feet of clearance on either side. The canal also faces ongoing challenges due to its location in a seismically active area, where unstable limestone walls have led to frequent closures for maintenance. Between 1893 and 1940, the canal was closed for four years in total due to these issues, with one year alone in 1923 requiring significant repairs.