The medieval castle of Chameh, near Tyre, and the “maqam” of Shimon el-Safa that it houses are among the archaeological treasures for which Lebanon requested “enhanced protection” from UNESCO against the risks of war. However, the ground fighting in November between Hezbollah and the Israeli Army overran the request in question.
The citadel and the sanctuary, located 25 km southeast of Tyre, were seriously damaged by shellfire exchanges during an attempted Israeli Army advance towards the coastal road. After the 2006 war, during which they were also damaged, the maqam and the fortress were restored by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) with funding from the Italian government, as the regional headquarters of the Italian UNIFIL contingent is situated on a nearby hill.
Some of these restoration works will likely need to be redone once the damages have been fully assessed.
The significance of Chameh has gained even more prominence following the death of an Israeli archaeologist, Zeev Erlich, who entered the area of Israeli military operations "without the necessary authorizations." Dressed in an Israeli Army uniform, the intruder was killed during the ground fighting.
The site is perched on a splendid hill overlooking the sea, as is customary for maqams, which are places of prayer that emerged in large numbers starting in the 12th and 13th centuries following the advent of the Crusaders. In the absence of mosques, the most beautiful sites were chosen for such sanctuaries.
The maqam of Shimon el-Safa, or Simon, nicknamed Cephas (Peter) by Jesus (Matthew 16:18–19), known in Arabic as Semaan el-Safa, dates back to the 1st century. According to local tradition, it is a funerary monument housing relics of the figure whom Christianity regards as the Prince of the Apostles. The adjoining minaret dates to the 11th century, while the fortress was built in the 12th century. Inside its largely destroyed walls, it once housed a sizable village. During the Crusader era, the citadel was part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
The maqam of Chameh consists of an underground crypt, a kind of sealed funerary chamber accessed through a circular opening covered by a wooden coffer. It is enclosed within a richly arched hall topped with four domes. The extent of external damage inflicted on the sanctuary awaits evaluation after the Israeli withdrawal planned under the ceasefire agreement.
Inside, it appears that the Israeli Army conducted some form of sampling in the crypt because, according to a resident of Chameh who managed to approach the site, the coffer covering the crypt’s entrance was moved, albeit carefully. The floor is noted to be the most sacred part of the maqam.
How can a Shiite funerary monument, a stream of Islam dating to the 8th century, be dedicated to Saint Peter, who was martyred in Rome in the year 64? The answer lies in Chameh’s oral tradition, which claims that Shimon el-Safa appears in the genealogical lineage of the Mahdi, whose mother was Christian before converting to Islam.
In Shiite Muslim tradition, the Mahdi is a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad who bears his name. The twelfth imam of a hereditary lineage, this redemptive imam, “occulted” or “hidden” (circa the 9th–10th century), is expected to reappear at the End of Times to restore justice and true religion in a world overtaken by disbelief and moral corruption. Not all Islamic streams agree on this eschatological figure, and this matter is best left to specialists. For the curious visitor, Chameh’s local tradition suffices.
According to Ali Badaoui, archaeologist and heritage official in Tyre with the Ministry of Culture, the site was restored a few years ago. Still, no examination of the remains in the crypt has been conducted so far “out of respect for the deceased,” by Eastern customs.
Regrettably, such considerations hinder science from having its say in this field. Historical records confirm that Saint Peter was martyred under Nero’s reign and that the imposing St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome was built in the 16th century on the site of his martyrdom. Pope Paul VI identified his remains, which now lie under the basilica's high altar until Judgment Day. Could the maqam have housed relics of the first bishop of Rome? This hypothesis is not far-fetched.
Indeed, according to the archaeologist, “near the sanctuary, there are remnants of a chapel, which proves that the site was consecrated before the advent of Islam.” While experts note that maqams can merely serve as “stations,” the Chameh maqam, dating to the 1st century, situated close to the Holy Land and containing traces of a church, might surprise researchers.
For now, in anticipation of a time more attentive to history, it can be said that Lebanon as a whole is a respectable and precious reliquary for various religious beliefs, all deserving equal respect. Better documentation, such as that of the Maqam of Semaan el-Safa in Chameh, could offer Lebanon’s younger generations an unparalleled openness of mind. This is not necessarily relativistic but a form of awareness of their diverse roots and their varying significance in popular culture and collective mentalities.
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