The church is located on the grounds of the Righteous Tabitha's courtyard, which is managed by the Russian Spiritual Mission of the Moscow Patriarchate in Jerusalem. It is consecrated in honor of the Feast of the Veneration of the Honorable Chains of the Apostle Peter, while the northern altar is dedicated to Righteous Tabitha.

Construction of the church began on a plot acquired in 1868 with the involvement of Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin). Before the church was built, a house for Orthodox pilgrims arriving in Palestine through the port of Jaffa was constructed on this land. A well was also dug, and fruit trees such as oranges, lemons, olives, pomegranates, and figs were planted, along with decorative trees including cypress, eucalyptus, and pines.

The construction of the church began on October 6, 1888, in the presence of Grand Dukes Sergei and Pavel Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. Italian craftsmen and local residents participated in the project, and the icons for the church were painted by artist and critic A. Z. Ledakov. In January 1894, the church was consecrated by Patriarch of Jerusalem Gerasim along with Metropolitan Peter of Arabia, Archbishop of Jordan, and Archimandrite Antonin.

The design of the Church of the Apostle Peter involved Archimandrite Antonin, who had previously served as the rector of the embassy churches in Athens and Constantinople, where he studied Greco-Byzantine architecture. This influence is evident in the architectural proportions of the church.

By the end of the 20th century, the church and other buildings of the courtyard fell into disrepair. Restoration work began in 1995 and was completed by 2000 under the guidance of Igumen Pimen (Kharaym), who remained the keyholder of the courtyard until the end of 2010.