Hookah History

One of the oldest traditions of the Middle East is the hookah, dating back more the 500 years. Known as a narghile, narghila, shisha, sheesha, water-pipe, and hubbly-bubbly; the original design for the hookah came from India and was originally carved from a coconut shell. Hookah quickly spread to Iran and then the rest of the Arab world, but it wasn't until its arrival in Turkey, between 1620-1640, that the hookah took its form, one that is recognized today.

The hookah consists of 4 main pieces: Agizlik (hose), Lüle (the bowl), Marpuç (the stem) and the Gövde (the base). Originally not all tobaccos were allowed to be used in the hookah. Only dark tobaccos imported from Iran and oak charcoals that were placed on the top of the tobacco were favored by hookah smokers.

During this period, hookah smokers began to experiment with their hookahs; some used certain fruits, like sour cherries or grapes in their base, others added pomegranate juice or rose oil to their base for added flavor. Lighting a cigarette on the oak charcoal was considered disturbing to the rythem of the smoking session and anyone found doing so was frowned upon. The hookah became so engraved in the Middle Eastern culture that rules were created, even for lighting the charcoals. If Professional smokers saw anyone improperly lighting a charcoal, they would be asked to extinguish it immediately.

Over the years hookah continued its growth and popularity. In fact the hookah was so popular and fashionable with the elite ladies of the 19th and the early 20th century, that it became fashionable to be photographed with the hookah.

Over time Hookah lost its luster with the availability of cigarettes, but has since made a resurgence. Thanks to its widespread global recognition, the popularity of the hookah has sky-rocketed in recent years. All across the world clusters of hookah smokers can now be seen at sidewalk cafes, restaurants, lounges, nightclubs, and thanks to its growing popularity in the United States, it can be found in dorms across college campuses.