Seven Amarna letters (EA 33–39) are addressed to Egypt by the king of Alašiya, whose name is not given, and one by his chief minister to the minister of Egypt (EA 40). The letters contain references to an exchange of gifts, which were delivered by sea (EA 39 and 40). This exchange amounted to the maintenance of commercial relations and one letter even mentions, in a broken context, Egyptian tradesmen (EA 34). This is what the king of Alašiya writes to the king of Egypt:
38 [. .uš-ši-ir] ki-ma ar-hi-iš39 [a-nakurA-]la-ši-ialútám-kà-ri-ia40 [ù 2] o1[ú-meštám-] kà-ru-ka ù41[1 m]e-i-it [x-x-]GA-GI it-ti-šu-nu,
“[let go] quickly [to A]lašiya my tradesman [and] your [twen] ty [tra]desmen and [one h]undred2 …… with them”.
All these Amarna letters date most likely from the reign of Amenophis IV (1379–1362), alias Akhenaten.
A somewhat earlier reference to Egyptian trade with Alašiya is to be found in an Ugaritic letter uncovered in room 77 of the main palace of Ugarit3 and addressed to Nimmuria, viz. Amenophis III Nebmare (1417–1379)4, by an official whose name is omitted.