What is sheesha

There are so many different names for this unique smoking experience. Some call it a hookah, hooka, shesha, huka, nargile, narghile, shisha, shesha, sheesha, nargila, or shishah.

The history of sheesha goes back to the northern parts of India, which was part of Persia (now known as Iran). Tobacco used to be smoked in coconuts. Later, wealthy Persians gave the hookah device the appearance that it has today, but it was designed to smoke opium and hashish. The hookah made its way from the Persian Kingdom to other parts of the Persian empire which also included India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, much of Middle Asia and Arab parts of Northern Africa.

The hookah, nargile as it is known in the Middle East, has been the standard of smoking for centuries and originated in Turkey over 500 years ago.

The nargile became a very important part of the coffee shop culture, finding its popularity in Turkey around the time of Murat the IV, 1623-40. The joy that the smokers received from this very simple yet beautiful smoking apparatus was unbelievable. Rules were created even for lighting the pipe, and if a professional smoker saw anyone lighting it the incorrect way, the culprit would be told in no uncertain term 'Do yourself and the sacred nargile a favour and put out the coals by blowing into it.'

Hubbly Bubbly smoking is quite common at restaurants and cafŽs all across the Middle East.

The nargile 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 the mostest the nargile was a must for popular afternoon tea and intellectual gatherings.

Today, the hookah is a smoking pipe used worldwide. The term 'sheesha' is primarily used for water pipes in Egypt and the Arabic countries of the Arabian Gulf (such as Bahrain, UAE, and Saudi Arabia). It is referred to as Argileh in Arab Mediterranean countries.

The practice of adding strong flavours is a relatively recent one but has grown in popularity in the past 20 years. Many people prefer it to smoking cigarettes and cigars because of the smooth, flavourful and cool taste of the smoke.