Cultured, cosmopolitan Sarajevo became the epicentre and the icon of this anguish.
Some celebrate multiculturalism for having transformed Britain into a vibrant, cosmopolitan nation.
Its cosmopolitan vibe (all those students from London with their outlandish hair and clothes and their universal love of Joni Mitchell) may have been intimidating, but I didn't have to apologise for my accent or love of theatre any more.
Instead the government insists most are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and classifies them as Bengalis, even though some claim roots before the colonial era – when thousands did arrive – to as far back as the 15th century when the Arakan kingdom was famed for its cosmopolitan openness.
The ultimate destination for much of this stuff was the United States, but cosmopolitan Paris too provided a ready market.
Related: Diana Vishneva: On the Edge review – stamina and conviction pushed to the limit Yet, as purely Russian as Vishneva appears, she is one of the most cosmopolitan ballerinas of her generation.
When mentioning my home turf, I have got used to the look of puzzlement that settles on the faces of cosmopolitan journalists or government folk, more familiar with the souks of Marrakech than this unglamorous patch of north London.
Since the 1800s, when foreign ambassadors and merchants built their grand houses on the steep hills north of the Bosphorus, it's been one of Istanbul's most cosmopolitan neighbourhoods.
But I remember the first time I did it, I was 16 and I was at the gymnasium and it was a cosmopolitan thing, an international thing, a modern thing, but I never felt at ease with it at all".
The birthplace of port, it's a must for wine lovers, and recent years have witnessed something of a cultural renaissance with galleries, restaurants and boutiques opening – the city rebranded itself last year to convey its "youthful, cosmopolitan" side.
"In foreign policy it embraces universal ideals without the means to enforce them, and cosmopolitan identity in contention with national loyalties".
