Bucephalus
Expedition

An Adventure from London to Karachi in a Land Rover

1964The Summer

84Days

15,788Miles

In the summer of 1964, seven friends packed a battered second-hand Land Rover, named Bucephalus, and drove it from a terraced street in Islington, England to Karachi, Pakistan — and back.

Eighty-four days. Fifteen thousand, seven hundred and eighty-eight miles. Fourteen countries. They crossed the Bosphorus by ferry and the Zagros by night, argued their way past a customs officer too drunk to stand in the Iranian desert, floated in the Dead Sea, and watched buzkashi played out beneath Babur's citadel in Kabul. Along the way: the souks of Aleppo before the war, the Khyber Pass while it was still open to travellers like them, the shrines of Isfahan, the tomb of Saladin in Damascus, and the relentless hospitality of strangers the entire way from London to the Khyber and back.

Written from the journals kept at the time and the photographs that survived the journey, Bucephalus Expedition is the record of a world that, in the sixty years since, has changed dramatically.

By Faruq Khan

Front cover of Bucephalus Expedition by Faruq Khan

The Photographs

Images from the journey, captioned as they appear in the book and keyed to the chapter they belong to. Use the arrows, your keyboard, or swipe.

Chapter

Bucephalus, our used 1961 Land Rover — Chapter 1 — Preparations & Departure
Bucephalus, our used 1961 Land Rover

Bucephalus at Apprentice Training School, Crewe Locomotive Works. Being examined by instructors to make sure everything is ‘Shipshape and Bristol fashion’ — Chapter 1 — Preparations & Departure
Bucephalus at Apprentice Training School, Crewe Locomotive Works. Being examined by instructors to make sure everything is ‘Shipshape and Bristol fashion’

Bucephalus at Bulfan. Valerie, Aunty Hilda & Pat in the foreground. Graham & Uncle Bob at the back — Chapter 1 — Preparations & Departure
Bucephalus at Bulfan. Valerie, Aunty Hilda & Pat in the foreground. Graham & Uncle Bob at the back

Hurried re-loading of Bucephalus outside #18, Danbury Street before departure — Chapter 1 — Preparations & Departure
Hurried re-loading of Bucephalus outside #18, Danbury Street before departure

Outside Hotel Sebastopol, exchanging addresses with Mr Kaman Shapov — Chapter 3 — The Autoput, Serbo-Croat Police & the Balkan Frontier
Outside Hotel Sebastopol, exchanging addresses with Mr Kaman Shapov

Just short of the Austro-Yugoslav frontier, a brief respite. Catching up with our diaries and log — Chapter 3 — The Autoput, Serbo-Croat Police & the Balkan Frontier
Just short of the Austro-Yugoslav frontier, a brief respite. Catching up with our diaries and log

Selimiye Mosque — Chapter 4 — Imperial Edirne & the Bosphorus Camp
Selimiye Mosque

View of Sultan Ahmed Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque) — Chapter 4 — Imperial Edirne & the Bosphorus Camp
View of Sultan Ahmed Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque)

The main prayer hall under the great dome — Chapter 4 — Imperial Edirne & the Bosphorus Camp
The main prayer hall under the great dome

Under the magnificent dome of the Sultan Ahmet — Chapter 4 — Imperial Edirne & the Bosphorus Camp
Under the magnificent dome of the Sultan Ahmet

Tilework at the Sultanahmet Mosque — Chapter 4 — Imperial Edirne & the Bosphorus Camp
Tilework at the Sultanahmet Mosque

Topkapi Palace, just above the Sirkeçi District — Chapter 4 — Imperial Edirne & the Bosphorus Camp
Topkapi Palace, just above the Sirkeçi District

Uncle Bob and I, outside the Istanbul Hilton — Chapter 5 — The Rover Agents & the Grueling Shift to the Levant
Uncle Bob and I, outside the Istanbul Hilton

Washing in a mountain stream in the Taurus mountains — Chapter 5 — The Rover Agents & the Grueling Shift to the Levant
Washing in a mountain stream in the Taurus mountains

With villagers at Payas just off the beach — Chapter 6 — The Mountains of the Sun God & the Faith of Damascus
With villagers at Payas just off the beach

Breakfast among the ruins of Baalbek — Chapter 6 — The Mountains of the Sun God & the Faith of Damascus
Breakfast among the ruins of Baalbek

The tomb of Salahuddin Ayubi — Chapter 6 — The Mountains of the Sun God & the Faith of Damascus
The tomb of Salahuddin Ayubi

The guard post in Jerash — Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
The guard post in Jerash

The colonnade plaza in Jerash — Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
The colonnade plaza in Jerash

The colonnade plaza in Jerash with the ruts made by cartwheels clearly visible — Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
The colonnade plaza in Jerash with the ruts made by cartwheels clearly visible

On the road to the Dead Sea (1,372’ below sea level). Here crossing Sea Level. Graham and I on the slopes — Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
On the road to the Dead Sea (1,372’ below sea level). Here crossing Sea Level. Graham and I on the slopes

Floating on the brackish waters of the Dead Sea. Left to right: Patricia, Valerie, myself and Patrick — Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
Floating on the brackish waters of the Dead Sea. Left to right: Patricia, Valerie, myself and Patrick

The Dome of the Rock — Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
The Dome of the Rock

Quranic verses atop the Dome of the Rock — Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
Quranic verses atop the Dome of the Rock

The prayer gallery surrounding the As Sakhara, just below the golden dome of the Dome of the Rock — Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
The prayer gallery surrounding the As Sakhara, just below the golden dome of the Dome of the Rock

Masjid Al Aqsa — Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
Masjid Al Aqsa

Inside Masjid Al Aqsa — Chapter 7 — The Dawn Eclipse of Jerash, the Dead Sea, and the Walled Holy City
Inside Masjid Al Aqsa

Graham preparing stew for lunch — Chapter 8 — The Arab Legion & the Midday Heat of Rutba
Graham preparing stew for lunch

With the Marine family at Bait Marine — Chapter 9 — The Southern Marshes, the Rain of Basra & the Persia Mountains
With the Marine family at Bait Marine

Tony Marine — Chapter 9 — The Southern Marshes, the Rain of Basra & the Persia Mountains
Tony Marine

Tomb of Sa’adi — Chapter 11 — The City of Roses & the Throne of Jamshid
Tomb of Sa’adi

Staircase at Persepolis – Medes bearing gifts — Chapter 11 — The City of Roses & the Throne of Jamshid
Staircase at Persepolis – Medes bearing gifts

The burial vaults of Achaemenian Kings – the burial chamber of Darius the Great on the right — Chapter 11 — The City of Roses & the Throne of Jamshid
The burial vaults of Achaemenian Kings – the burial chamber of Darius the Great on the right

Shaikh Lutfullah Mosque, Isfahan — Chapter 11 — The City of Roses & the Throne of Jamshid
Shaikh Lutfullah Mosque, Isfahan

Ali Qapu on the right and looking towards the Masjid e Madre Shah — Chapter 12 — Isfahan — Half the World
Ali Qapu on the right and looking towards the Masjid e Madre Shah

Interior of the Sheikh Lutfullah Mosque — Chapter 12 — Isfahan — Half the World
Interior of the Sheikh Lutfullah Mosque

Masjid e Mader e Shah, Isfahan — Chapter 12 — Isfahan — Half the World
Masjid e Mader e Shah, Isfahan

Main entrance to Madraseh Chaharbagh — Chapter 12 — Isfahan — Half the World
Main entrance to Madraseh Chaharbagh

Madraseh Chaharbagh — Chapter 12 — Isfahan — Half the World
Madraseh Chaharbagh

L to R: Patrick, Bob, Graham (behind Bob), Valerie, Faruq (standing), Patricia & Hilda — 19 miles (31 km) south of Quetta — Chapter 14 — The Last Miles of Iran — Bam to the Pakistan Frontier
L to R: Patrick, Bob, Graham (behind Bob), Valerie, Faruq (standing), Patricia & Hilda — 19 miles (31 km) south of Quetta

L to R: Graham Boyes, Patricia Vaughan, Talat Khan, Hilda Kersey, Anjum Zafar, Valerie Boyes, Dr. Robert W Kersey, Faruq Khan, Patrick Vaughan — Chapter 16 — 7,008 Miles — the Final Leg to Karachi
L to R: Graham Boyes, Patricia Vaughan, Talat Khan, Hilda Kersey, Anjum Zafar, Valerie Boyes, Dr. Robert W Kersey, Faruq Khan, Patrick Vaughan

Heading due west to Landikotal & Torkham, past the regimental crests — Khyber Pass — Chapter 17 — The Return Begins — Peshawar to Kabul
Heading due west to Landikotal & Torkham, past the regimental crests — Khyber Pass

Chihil Zina, Qandahar. From L to R: a local tour guide, Valerie, Faruq, Patrick, Aunty Hilda, Patricia — Chapter 18 — Across the Afghan Interior — Kabul to Herat
Chihil Zina, Qandahar. From L to R: a local tour guide, Valerie, Faruq, Patrick, Aunty Hilda, Patricia

Camp just short of Herat. Uncle Bob fixing breakfast at the rear of Bucephalus, whilst Valerie attends to her hair and I have a wash in the irrigation channel — Chapter 18 — Across the Afghan Interior — Kabul to Herat
Camp just short of Herat. Uncle Bob fixing breakfast at the rear of Bucephalus, whilst Valerie attends to her hair and I have a wash in the irrigation channel

Patricia and I retrieving our suitcase from the locals — Chapter 22 — Neyshabur & the Road to Tehran
Patricia and I retrieving our suitcase from the locals

Patrick driving — next to him Aunty Hilda — Patricia and Faruq partially visible, Summer 1964 — Chapter 23 — Tehran & the Road to the Caspian
Patrick driving — next to him Aunty Hilda — Patricia and Faruq partially visible, Summer 1964

Patricia & Valerie in the shadow of Mt Ararat with Anatolian nomads — Chapter 24 — The Caspian Coast to the Turkish Frontier
Patricia & Valerie in the shadow of Mt Ararat with Anatolian nomads

Black Sea beach at Trabzon. L to R: Graham, Valerie, Faruq, Patrick, Aunty Hilda and Uncle Bob, and Patricia on the bonnet — Chapter 25 — Turkey — Erzurum, the Black Sea & the Hospitality of Elmadag
Black Sea beach at Trabzon. L to R: Graham, Valerie, Faruq, Patrick, Aunty Hilda and Uncle Bob, and Patricia on the bonnet

Our hosts at Elmadag — Chapter 25 — Turkey — Erzurum, the Black Sea & the Hospitality of Elmadag
Our hosts at Elmadag

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