Kauffer, who was an engineer, topographer and cartographer, arrived in Istanbul in 1784 for the first time. This was under the protection of Count Choiseul Gouffier. Gouffier was the last French Ambassador to Istanbul at that time and he was a fascinating individual. He went on his travels with a significant delegation of painters, geographers, cartographers and artists. Kauffer was also among them. He created an observatory for the delegation at the French palace in the Taksim district and assigned the team based on their abilities. Kauffer was given the task of drawing a map of Istanbul.

Ambassador Gouffier worked to establish good relations between France and the Ottoman Empire, and tried to encourage cooperation between the two countries. He stirred up the Ottomans against Russia and eventually succeeded. Later, Kauffer played a vital role in strengthening the relationship and alliance between the two countries, which will be discussed in the following section.