“This place carried my dreams”: in southern Lebanon, the war also threatens the memory of the villages

The shelling in recent days of the Phoenician city of Tire and the Crusader castle of Beaufort, where the Israeli flag has been flying since Sunday, has revived concerns around the rich heritage of southern Lebanon. In recent months, the region has undergone a methodical erasure of its memory. On April 12, the Israeli army already destroyed the medieval citadel of Chamaa, where there is a multi-religious maqâm (sanctuary) of Chmoun as-Safa dedicated to Saint Peter, already affected in 2024 and partially rebuilt by its inhabitants. Three of the four domes that made up the site were razed, on this hill located 10 km from Tyre.

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