Where did the hookah come from?
So there are a bunch of various names for the hookah, most of which are of Indian, Turkish, Arab, and Persian origin. "Narghile" is from the Persian word nārgil, meaning "coconut", which was chosen because the original narghile was made from coconut shells.
The actual origins of the hookah pipe are split in many different directions. The main countries trying to take a claim to the hookah are India, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, and Syria. What most likely happened was each of these countries, and probably more, had their own form of water pipe. As traders traveled on the ancient trades routes, the different forms evolved together to form what we know as a standard hookah stack.
How popular were hookahs in history?
Smoking hookah is one of the oldest traditions in Turkey. Both men and women find great pleasure in smoking the water pipe. The original hookah came from India (supposedly), but was found rather primitive because it was made with a coconut shell. Smoking hookah quickly spread over the Arab world, but it completed its revolution in Turkey, and has not changed its style in over a few hundred years.
When the water pipe made its way over, Turkish craftsmen found a new way to display their skills. They started engraving the hookah bases and stems with beautiful designs. Some included white or colorful flasks that appeared as if they were made of crystallized ice. They also engraved fruits and flowers onto the vases.
The hookah was popular with the elite ladies of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries that it began to be photographed. Obviously the hookah's popularity declined dramatically when the cigarette became available.
Are hookahs still popular today?
The hookah made its first appearance in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. You know, the caterpillar that blows O's!
Hookah smoking has recently become popular in the United States. It's really popular around the college and university settings, where hookahs are viewed as a safer alternative to cigarettes. Most people who smoke hookah view it as a social activity and not a habit; it appeals more than cigarettes. A lot of Westeners actually use hookahs for smoking marijuana because they believe that the unwanted toxins are filtered through the water.
A hookahs ability to produce pleasant smoke has lead a lot of people to believe that smoking hookah is less detrimental to one's health than most other methods of smoking tobacco. Unlike cigarettes, which is the igniting and burning of tobacco, hookahs produce a dense, flavorful smoke by heating moistened tobacco.
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