My name is Mustafa Çankaya and I’m a photographer from Istanbul who also works at Atatürk Airport.
I see thousands of different faces passing by everyday, from every culture and every part of the world. It is like a treasure for a photographer like me! This inspired me to combine my passion for photography with my work at the airport and create a new project called "100 Faces 100 Countries".
Almost everyday I walk around the transit section of the airport trying to find the right face. The person that I decide to shoot has to be different in some way. It could be the hairstyle or the dress but the most important is the atmosphere between me and the participant.
I have started my project in March 2018 and currently I have 117 portraits from 77 different countries. I will continue my project with the hope of having an exhibition of 100 different countries.
When I posted my project on Bored Panda in May 2018, it was published by German, Portugese, French, Bulgarian and Turkish media.
I love how this project connects the world in one place!
More info: Instagram
#1 Ibrahim Zethy From Rwanda
This is what happens if you meet a dancer from Rwanda at the airport. Thanks to Ibrahim Zethy!
211points
#2 Nicole From Ukraine
Nicole is a tattoo artist from Odessa. She was starting a tour in Europe for tattoo lovers.
200points
#3 Freya From Scotland
Freya studies Human Sciences at University of Oxford. She was flying to Kenya for her studies.
185points
#4 Bash From Lebanon
Bash arrived from the Burning Man festival, the dust is still on his shoes. He is a percussion artist playing djembe drum.
183points
#5 Jussi From Finland
Jussi owns a tattoo studio in Helsinki. We met before his flight to Africa. He was going to have a long journey to the middle of the jungle.
174points
#6 Shayma From Kuwait
Shayma was following the project before we met. She wrote me between her connecting flight to Greece. She studies medicine in Malta and also volunteers for refugees in Athens.
172points
#7 Frédéric From France
Frédéric is a teacher in Nigeria. After 2 months summer vacation he was flying back to start the new semester. By the way, the jacket is his own design.
165points
#8 Kavinthida From Thailand
Kavinthida had holidays in Denmark. She had a very long layover.
158points
#9 Parl From Estonia
Parl is a heptathlete from Estonia. Hereby I've learned that "hepta" means seven in Greek. We have met before her flight Houston.
157points
#10 Sara From Tanzania
Sara was in Barcelona for holidays. I really love the natural look in this picture.
144points
#11 Indrė From Lithuania
Indrė was heading to California to spend her summer there.
141points
#12 Sara From Iran
Happy to have Sara in the project! She studies dentistry and design in Moscow.
140points
#13 Idris From Nigeria
Idris is a fashion stylist from Nigeria. You can hire him both in Nigeria and Kenya! He travels a lot and we met just before his flight to New York.
139points
#14 Christophe From Belgium
His T-shirt rocks! It even made me ask Christophe to join the project.
139points
#15 Katirina From Bulgaria
Katirina was on work & travel program at New Jersey with her friend. I met them on the way back to Bulgaria.
139points
#16 May From Lebanon
May loves to travel. She volunteered at a refugee camp and was on the way to Egypt for work.
135points
#17 Sebastian From Poland
Sebastian's last adventure was the trip to the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan. He climbed to the Peak Korzhenevskaya which is 7105 m high and it took him 8 days. He was there at the same time (13th August) when the helicopter crash happened and three Russian climbers and two Tajik pilots died in the accident.
133points
#18 Jargal From Mongolia
I have met Jargal before her flight to Ulaanbaatar. She studies in Frankfurt, Germany.
130points
#19 Gorana From Serbia
Gorana was having a quick drink before her flight to Belgrade.
127points
#20 Frankie J From England
Frankie J is one of the best house dancers on the planet. We have met before at Istanbul Street Dance Carnival. He was the judge for House Dance contest and I was a photographer there.
121points