History of the Shisha Pipe

Call it hookah in India and Pakistan, shisha (pronounced sheesha) in Tunisia and Egypt, qalyan in ancient persia and today's Iran.

The Beginning...

Shisha history is rich and very controversial. It is said that the water pipe originated in India where it was made from coconut shells and then spread to Iran and into different parts of the Arab world before moving onto Turkey. One of the oldest and deep rooted traditions in Turkey is smoking the Shisha, with both men and women finding great pleasure in smoking the waterpipe.

Finding it's Popularity It was in Turkey that the shisha completed its revolution, and did not change its style for the last few hundred years. The shisha became a very important part of the coffee shop culture, finding its popularity in Turkey around the time of Murat the IV'th, 1623-40. The joy that the smokers received from this very simple yet beautiful smoking apparatus was unbelievable. The shisha itself consists of 4 pieces which are as follows: Agizlik (mouthpiece), Lüle (the top of the nargile), Marpuç (the tube) and the Gövde (the body of the pipe which is filled with water). All pieces of the pipe were produced by special craftsmen, who were named after the piece they produced.

Even today, the areas where these craftsmen used to concentrate are called by these names, such as "Marpuççular."Lüles were generally produced in Tophane by Lule makers and the govde's (bottles) were manufactured in Beykoz. These govde's were a unique exaple of Turkish handcraft and were decorated with floral motifs. Some were made out of silver or crystal.

Not all tobaccos qualified for usage in the shisha, and only the dark tobacco imported from Iran found favor with the nargile user. This tobacco was washed several times before use as it was extremely strong. Only oak charcoal was used to be placed on the top of the tobacco. Some professional shisha smokers used certain fruit, like sour cherries or grapes in their govde just to enjoy the motion it created in the water. Other people enjoyed adding pomegranate juice or rose oil to their water for added flavor. The shisha smoker hated anyone lighting their cigarettes on their shisha coal because they felt it disturbed the rhythm of the burning charcoal.

The shisha was so popular and fashionable with the elite ladies of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, that it became the in thing to be photographed with a nargile. If you wanted to be the hostess with style, the nargile was a must for popular afternoon tea and intellectual gatherings. Unfortunately like most wonderful things from the past, the nargile suffered a decline with the availability of the cigarettes.

Today

The popularity of the shisha has sky-rocketed in recent years, mainly due to the social nature of shisha smoking. It's not what you put in your pipe, but who you smoke it with. Rarely will you see a solo shisha smoker. In Britain, lifestyle revolves around the pub, in the Netherlands, the 'coffee' shop - and in the Middle East, one of the social hangouts are the shisha cafes.

Over the past few years, Shisha Cafes have become quite popular throughout the UK. They allow for smokers to experience a different and unique way to smoke, while listening to music and socialising. In addition, one can usually order excellent meals or listen to live music.