A Tour in Cyprus, 1934

Abstract

A journey is only worth describing if the traveller's work has some exceptional significance. This condition was fulfilled when Sir George Hill and Sir Charles Peers toured Cyprus in 1934. On 18th March Hill first saw that island, the ‘Princesse lointaine’ of his studies thirty years before, and unlike Rostand's story the coming of Sir George as Rudel and Sir Charles as Bertrand had an outcome both happy and useful. The origin and purpose of the tour can be briefly stated.Desiring advice as to the best means of improving the island's law of antiquities and of assisting the Nicosia Museum, H.M. Secretary of State for the Colonies arranged that Sir George, then Director of the British Museum, should visit Cyprus. Shortly before this, Sir Charles, Late Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments in H.M. Office of Works, had accepted an invitation from the ‘Cyprus Committee,’ an unofficial Association formed in 1933 by Viscount Mersey, to investigate the methods of caring for the ancient monuments of Cyprus and to suggest such changes as might seem desirable. By fusion of these missions into one, duplication of work was avoided.