And nevertheless, there are the ever so colourful faces of people, with beautiful, dazzling patterns covering themselves, making combinations of strange sounds as they communicate amongst themselves. You'll never be able to understand those conversations, but there's a sense of peace in this co-existence.
Albania circa 1809, was a cosmopolis.
Mountains and rivers, the usual protection and transportation contribute to the safety and prosperity of a city – those are the endorsement from mother nature. When Harold first noticed this magical place, it had been the minarets. Before science conquered most of the world, a religious building is usually the tallest in any city state, with the bell tower overlooking the entire city, and all the while showing respect to whatever gods said city is honoring. He first saw the reflection of the setting sun on the ornamented towers, heard the somewhat illegible war songs brought to him by the wind in the valley. It's all very calm and welcoming, the kind that would make you imagine the kingdom of the elves in Lord of the Rings.
Think about Troy, before the godforsaken horse; think about Mumbai, a wonderful mess with miraculous order as people suffer and flourish; think about New York City, again, her beggars with decaying limbs on the streets, and billionaires whose snap of fingers might mean an entire industry crumbling down. All are born equal, yet live in incomparable states as if they're in parallel universes with transparent walls in between: both looking at each others' lives without interfering. "Slaves, eunuchs, soldiers, guests, and santons", to this date, and they're now dressed up as taxi drivers, maintenance workers, illegal immigrants, exchange students, business travellers, monks, street merchants and artists, all starving in one way or another.
Of course, how much they can spend on lunch is not the only factor to differ them, for the kaleidoscopic spectrum of a cosmopolis comes from its diversity in ethnicity, culture, art, craftsmanship, language, fashion... sometimes the only thing that people in a cosmopolis have in common is the desire for fortune and power, and they only thing that link them all is war.
When diversity becomes a common expectation, you stop noticing it and enter a state of numbness. However, the tragic side of the story is that, although sharing space, ethnic groups don't necessarily become friends. Romeo and Juliet still would have died if they had lived in a cosmopolis. One thing to keep in mind is religion. Islamic culture is indubitably a positive factor in the Albanian cosmopolis with the belief of a universal brotherhood. It's condescending to women, but avoids many conflicts between ethnic groups. In New York the dominant party consists of Atheists and Agnostics, with modernized devotees of various sorts – all are tolerant of practices of different religions; blue and white mosques, gothic cathedrals and gold capped temples decorating the streets, offering a bizarre kind of beauty.
It's quite a transcendental experience listening to the night prayers in a Muslim city, even from the vicarious ones I've gotten from movies. Religious are easy answers to unreachable mysteries of the universe, yet also products of human vulnerability. Believe it or not, religions make you feel connected with people who share the same thoughts, wherever they might be. And God, is simply a symbolic we name we gave to all those answers, omnipotent by creation, and non-existent by nature.
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