I took a tour of Turkey, but in Istanbul I was on my own. Before I left New York, I was feeling nervous, not because most of the people in Turkey are Muslims, but because two weeks prior to my departure, there was a bomb explosion at Taksim Square. But, as soon as I stepped into the busy street my fear was gone. In Istanbul, there's so much to see and so much to photograph, I just worried that I couldn't cover too many places in one day. I was simply fascinated by their amazing architecture, with so many magnificent buildings of different designs and structures that have been standing strong for centuries.

Being the only city in the world that is situated in both continents of Europe and Asia, Istanbul has made itself a unique international city, and the people are open-minded to accept various cultures and religions. It took me less than an hour to realise how friendly and helpful they were. The only thing that scared me a little bit was seeing how some of them crossed the street - seemingly only inches away from the oncoming traffic.

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