42 Rosenstrasse

Oldenburg

August 12th, 10.

Dear Miss Bell:-

All this summer I have been [?] to thank you for your very interesting pamphlet on the vaulting system of Ukhaidir, and to congratulate you not only upon your splendid find itself, but also upon the most important conclusions to which you have come. It is astounding to see how deeply you have plunged into architecture, history of art, and archaeology in general. And to a ‘scientific heart’ like my own it is a real true joy to see that your scientific work is genuine and productive, not merely reproductive as that of so many women and men. How well you have stated that Assyrian methods are handed down by the Persians to the builders of the Mohammedan period. There is a long history in that single sentence.

The tube-system was of course entirely new to me; most interesting how you describe it. Also the primitive mosque – about which you are perfectly right – and the [?] vaults are very important. You are certainly right in ascribing the Palace to the Mohammedan period. It is possible that the Omayyads built a Palace in those far regions, but not so very likely. The Omayyad Khalif living at Damascus are more likely to have built in the Syrian Desert. Then I would either think of the early Abbasids or – and why not? – of the time of the earlier Khalif, say ‘Othman or ‘Ali. Ukhaidar was not a mere Palace, as is [?] from your plan, it was also a fortress or castle, where the ruler of the faithful might have kept a large number of soldiers, if necessary camping in tents. At the time when Kufa and Basra were built, also other ‘Heerlager’ might have been built, perhaps of totally different character than the other. But this theory does not satisfy me, because the Khalifs at Medina did scarcely build a ‘Palace’, even if connected with a castle.

I envy you much for your liberty at travelling. All last summer I have been sitting at home working on[?] ancient Aksum, which I excavated in 1905/6. But – thanks to Allah and all his [?] – I have finished my MS. And shall bring it to Berlin in a few days. That is the reason why I cannot be in Munich on the 18th. I should like to see you very much indeed and talk with you about things Syrian and all other. Has Mr. Butler written you about his splendid work at Sardes? 

Next winter I am to lecture in Cairo from November until April, I am glad to say. I shall pass through Italy in November early, shall you perhaps be there?

Very sincerely,

Enno Littmann