Hookah history is rich and very controversial. It is said that the water pipe originated in India where it was made from coconut shells and then spread to Iran and into different parts of the Arab world. Now it is one of the oldest Middle-Eastern smoking tradition that began hundreds of years before the big American cigarette companies are introduced. It is one of the most common and interesting sites of the Arab World. There are numerous cafes where one can lie on long cushions and spend the time talking to their friends and enjoying this Arab delight.

With the invention of the hookah over 500 years ago, the Turks refined smoking to an artful and elegant ceremonial experience to be shared in the company of friends. The hookah uses a small charcoal tablet to gently heat a special, flavor-infused Molasses-Tobacco blend. The Molasses-Tobacco never burns, but is filtered as it is drawn through the water-filled, hand-blown glass base and inhaled through ornate, embroidered hoses. The vapor is incredibly smooth, sweet and aromatic.

It is important to note and as part of Hookah History, that Turkey revolutionized Hookah smoking and today it is a very important part of the coffee shop culture. For centuries, even around the time of Murat the IV, 1623-40, Hookah smoking was popular and remains so. Around the world, this smoking device is known by many different names. Some call it a hookah, hooka, huka, shisha, sheesha, shishah, nargile, narghile, and Hubbly Bubbly just to mention some.The hookah started a whole new breed of smokers and today, it is even becoming more popular than cigarette and cigar smoking. For many, it offers a smoother, flavorful and cool taste of smoke over that of cigarettes and cigars. Because the smoke is filtered through cool water and the tobacco is flavored, the enjoyment is greater!

During the 19th and in the beginning of the 20th century, hookah smoking was very fashionable with elite ladies and many wished to be photographed of smoking through a large water pipe (called a hookah). Men and women of the upper classes in the Arab world have been entertaining guests with hookah pipes for centuries. There was a period of time after this that hookah smoking was not as popular as it once had been, because of the availability. However, today, this is certainly not the case and many are finding enjoyment with hookah smoking.