The Maqam Shamoun Al Safa (Arabic: مقام شمعون الصفا) is a Shi'ite Islamic shrine located in the Shamaa village, in Tyre District of the South Governorate, Lebanon. It contains a mausoleum believed to be that of Saint Peter, known in Muslim exegetical traditions as Shamoun al-Safa. The shrine was built in the 11th century by the Fatimid emirs ruling over Lebanon.
Shi'ite traditions narrate that Simon Peter died in an area which is now the modern-day Tyre.[1][2] This is contrary to the mainstream Christian belief that Simon Peter was buried in the mausoleum underneath the St. Peter's Basilica, in the Vatican. Modern signage outside the shrine and surrounding areas claims that the grave within the shrine dates to the 1st century CE.
An information board outside Shamaa Citadel, indicating the shrine's supposed history dates back to the 1st century.
History of the shrine
The current shrine was built by the Fatimids emirs of Lebanon in 1096, based on the inscriptions inside the shrine.[3][4][5] The shrine was damaged by the Crusaders in 1124 after the occupation of Tyre under the successful First Crusade, but was subsequently restored during the Mamluk period.[3][4][5] It survived both the Mamluk, Ottoman, and eventual French rule over Lebanon.[3][4][5] The shrine was damaged in 2006 Lebanon War but was fully restored after the end of the war.[3][4][5][6]
Archaeological excavations have revealed that some of the building material used in the shrine dated back to the 1st century CE, and one of the rooms may have been a Christian chapel.[7] In 2019, it was reported that the site was a major tourist destination in Lebanon for Shi'ite pilgrims.[1]
The shrine was heavily destroyed by shelling on 15 November 2024 by the IDF while targeting Hezbollah during the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.[6][8][9] Videos of the shrine circulated online after the 26th November ceasefire, showing the large amount of damage taken to the shrine and the grave appearing to have been looted.[7][10][11] A 71-year-old Israeli researcher was reportedly killed during an unauthorized archaeological examination at the shrine.[12][13]
Gallery
Signboard near the shrine
Domes and minaret
Cemetery in courtyard, the tombstones mostly read "Safi ad-Din"
