Letter from Karageorghis to Schaeffer on the political situation in Cyprus and the relocation of museum collectionsVassos Karageorghis

Printed: ΚΥΠΡΙΑΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ | KIBRIS CUMHURİYETI

Figure: circular emblem with laurel wreath between the two titles; labels: none legible

DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES, NICOSIA.

2nd January, 1964

Dear Professor Schaeffer,

I enclose photos of the God which supplement those that you have already got through M. Courtois. As agreed, I shall be using in my report only a photo of the head of the God. I shall be expecting the report on your excavations of the last season during this month. I hope you had time to write it down. You must have also received the slides and the text of my communication on Salamis and Kition for the Academie. If there is anything I could clarify please let me know.

You must have heard by now about the tragic events which have happened and are still going on in Cyprus. You have an experience of the Moslems already, needless to comment on the events. On the evening of Christmas day we were, as you may have heard, in danger of invasion. With other members of the Museum we put to safety all the valuables. I got the bath with the God and put it also away. It was very ironic to put a war-god to safety, since it was fully armed! I am now thinking of your material which was in the Khan in Nicosia. I am very happy that the events took such a turn and we removed in time your antiquities from it. The Khan is now occupied by Turkish partisans. Hélas, this is the case with the Larnaca Museum, but a week before the events I had the Museum van going twice a day and 99% of my Kition material is now in Nicosia.

With all good wishes for you both from my wife and myself. Let us hope that peace will prevail soon.

Yours ever,

Handwritten: Karageorghis

Handwritten: signature

Handwritten: P.S. Our friend Dikaios has been nominated by the French government Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur. I suppose for services rendered to French archaeologists working in Cyprus! What an irony!

VK/MC.