Hookah History

A Hookah is a typically glass-based water pipe used for the smoking of flavored shisha. It operates by using a water filtration system and charcoal as an indirect heat source. The hookah is designed to have typically from 1 to 4 hoses and is used throughout the world to relieve social situations. In the hustle and bustle of our modern world, where most people do not have time to socialize with friends and family, the hookah can contribute an euphoric feeling when it encourages one to relax. Although historians can not seem to pinpoint the exact origin of our modern hookah pipe, there are many theories that exist with references to Europe, America, India, Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, and Turkey.

Most give credit to the establishment of the hookah to India and Persia, but the contribution of the looks of the modern hookah can be traced specifically to Turkey. The early hookahs made in India were generally primitive, rugged in design, and made from coconut shells or gourds. From India, the hookah was said to appear next in Persia. There, the hookahs continued to be made out of wood and for the most part are still hand crafted that way today. In Persian and Arab societies, social smoking is still done with just one or two hoses, and there is an extensive list of correct hookah rules and practices of etiquette that are expected to be followed by their native citizens and foreigners alike.

The popularity of the hookah then exploded once it was introduced in Turkey. The hookah instantaneously gained a wide customer base in Turkey with upper class and intellectual citizens widely accepting this revolutionary hobby. Turkish hookahs increased in size and complexity, becoming much more like the hookah we recognize today. Brass and glass were added to the mix, cutting out the use of wood in a hookah almost entirely. Fascinating designs and intricate paintings were commonly being placed on the hookah vases. Turkish culture is so infused with the hookah pipe that it is their most popular tradition.

The American and European influences on the hookah come largely from the introduction of shisha to the market. Additionally, some historians say that early Americans smoked shisha out of gourds and taught Asian and African peoples how to smoke through a pipe. Westerners also have greatly popularized the use of the hookah and have made it a widely practiced past time by the mixture of people worldwide. Now hookahs can be found from Cairo to Las Vegas, and there is nothing to stop the continued growth of this amazing phenomenon.