History of the Hookah Pipe

Hookah pipes, also known as shishas (not to be confused with hookah tobacco, also called shisha by some) and nargiles, have rapidly gained popularity in the United States over the last 10-15 years. The rise in the popularity of hookah smoking has been especially pronounced among young adults and college students. This has given rise to many hookah bars and hookah shops all across the U.S.

However, don’t let the sudden popularity of hookah pipes in the U.S. fool you; hookahs have been around for more than 1000 years. Historians believe that they were originally invented in the mountainous regions near the Pakistan/India border.

The first hookahs were somewhat primitive in design (it was more than a millenium ago, after all), typically made from a clay jar or coconut shell base, with a hollow tube and a head. Hookahs were originally designed to smoke opium and hashish, but today are used almost exclusively for the consumption of tobacco covered in flavored syrup, typically called shisha in the States.

From its starting place in the rugged mountains of Pakistan and western India, hookah pipes were introduced to the Persian Kingdom (modern day Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and northern Africa). At some point after its introduction to the Persian culture, tobacco was introduced to the new hookah pipe, giving rise to the use of hookahs that we see today.

It wasn’t until about 500 years ago that the hookah finally made its way to Turkey, where it experienced an abrupt increase in popularity among the upper classes and intellectuals causing many of them to buy hookahs. This is where the hookah that we are familiar with today was first invented. Brass and glass were substituted for the wood used in older designs, often incorporating intricate carvings and glasswork for higher class consumers.

Hookah popularity grew to the point where coffee shops began to serve hookahs along with their regular fair, giving rise to one version of the modern day hookah bar. These coffee shops were so popular that hookahs quickly spread from Turkey to modern day Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Morocco, where hookahs were given the name ‘nargile’. Hookah bars in the Middle East and western Asia today are a place where people come together for social gatherings and to relax and have a smoke.

Hookah smoking today is a much more social activity than many other smoking varieties. Cigarette smoking is often something engaged in by competitive people who are in a hurry. Smoking a hookah, on the other hand, allows people to sit down, relax, have a drink and a nice conversation.


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *