Hookah is an ancient tradition that goes back more than 1000 years in the North-Western provinces of India, across the border of Pakistan in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The word hookah refers to water pipes used to smoke specially made tobacco known as shisha. The first hookahs were typically made of a coconut shell as a bowl for holding water and a pipe manufactured from trees with a mouthpiece attached to the top.
Up until the 15th Century, hookah, as we know them, appeared when Indian Glass manufacturing began creating them to export them internationally. In those days, the glass base was known as shisha.
Hookah soon expanded to Iran, where people smoked strong, flavorless Ajami tobacco. During the Ottoman Empire, between 1623-1640, the sultans were usually seen with their shisha pipes as they became a status symbol. That’s why it was also smoked during royal celebrations and diplomatic affairs.
It’s essential to notice that the origins of the hookah pipe are claimed by several countries, including India, Iran, Syria, Egypt, and Turkey. According to the best hookah lounge DFW owner, it’s likely that different forms of pipes were made to take shape into what we know today.
These days Syria, Egypt, and Turkey are responsible for manufacturing most of the world’s hookahs.
Best hookah lounges near me explain that shisha is from the Persian word shishe, which means glass. This term is usually used in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.
Hookahs are also known as:
Water pipe
Nargeela, nargile, narghile, nargileh
Argeela, arguileh
Hubbly, bubbly
Shisha, sheesha
Okka
Kalyan
Ghelyoon
Ghalyan
Most of the above names are Persian, Turkish, Ethiopian, Uzbek, Arab, Indian, and Somalian.
In Western countries like the U.K. and the United States, shisha is the tobacco smoked from a water pipe (hookah). In Arabic, the tobacco is called Mu’assel, and it refers to the honey syrup and vegetable glycerol combination.
Hookah Cultural Meaning
Hookah is a social experience associated with friendship, family, trust, pleasure, relaxation, and respect. Since the beginning, smoking hookah in royal and diplomatic affairs was considered a manner of good faith, never a provocative or insulting manner.
Royals, nobles, and imperials like their portraits to be painted while smoking hookah to demonstrate opulence and prosperity as smoking hookah has always been considered a symbol of status.
These days hookah’s manufacturer countries are proud of producing hookah pipes. That’s why they’re constantly demonstrating and trying high-technological advancements, natural resources, and skillful artisans to provide people with one-of-a-kind hookah pipes.
The best hookah pipes are both functional and majestic.
Today smoking hookah has become more accessible thanks to hookah lounges and bars. This allows people to relax and have fun while gathering around a hookah. The primary purpose of a hookah is to become the centerpiece for conversation after a long day.
Thanks to hookahs’ social aspect, this ancient tradition has spread to many countries, bringing different cultures together. This old tradition has passed down from generation to generation, and it seems it will remain with us for a long time.
Hookah Lounges in the United States
Today, hookah lounges, such as Pharaoh’s Hookah lounge in Houston, Tx, are trendy in the United States, especially among college students, as they’re the perfect places to enjoy good snacks, drinks, music, and smoke hookah. These lounges provide good hospitality the same way it was thousands of years ago.
People come together and share stories around hookah pipes the same way it has been done from the beginning. Hookah lounges are vital parts of communities as they bring people together.
Even though hookah pipes have changed over time, the practice is still a cultural expression and the best way to enjoy a fantastic time for many people!