Letter from Schaeffer to Hamit Bey Kosay on excavation permits and entry visasClaude Frédéric-Armand Schaeffer

13 May 1946

My dear Friend,

I confirm my letter of 11 March by air, to which I have received no reply. Now, as you did not give me your brother's address in Lyon, I could not communicate with him directly. If he has not already left, an opportunity presents itself on 10 June next to reach Beirut by the 'André Lebon'. I am embarking on this ship too, together with my collaborators. Reply to me by return, or tell your brother to request a passage directly to Lyon or Marseille.

Of course, I hope however that he will be willing to join my Mission or, if he has already reached Cyprus, to come and help us there.

I forgot to say in my letter that the Mission of course bears the costs of food and lodging of its collaborators in addition to the salary.

I therefore hope to be able to begin my excavations at Enkomi earlier than I told you in my previous letter. Here is my programme. I expect therefore to be at Beyouth (address Hotel St. Georges) around 20 June and to leave again around 27\28 for Ankara. I expect to have finished my researches at Malatya towards the end of August and then to go straight to Cyprus, either directly from Turkey if there is a connection, or via Beirut.

I therefore hope to shake your hand in the first days of September and to be able to work then at Enkomi in September and October. It will still be hot, but I think it will be bearable. I hope this date suits you and that you can attach to my mission the excellent foreman and preparator who helped me last time at Enkomi.

I shall bring with me one of the architects of Ras Shamra, Paul Pitonin, and an assistant archaeologist Coche de la Ferte who worked with the Franco-American Mission at Antioch (Campbell). Both of them, after having fought against the Germans, were prisoners during the war.

I shall write to you on the way from Beirut and from Ankara, where my address is: Embassy of France. As soon as the dates are closer, I shall also announce myself to Sir Charles Woolley, the kind governor who gave me such a good welcome when I passed through your country during the war.

My respectful regards to Mrs Dikaios, and cordially to you,

Handwritten: signature

Mr P. Dikaios, Curator of the Archaeological Museum, NICOSIA.