Think back. Do you recall the tale of a girl named Alice who became stranded in a strange, imaginative world? In that story, our heroine stumbles upon an arrogant and inquisitive caterpillar. Perched atop a giant mushroom and smoking what appears to be a strange musical instrument, the caterpillar asks Alice a quite memorable question-- "Who are YOU?" The musical instrument turns out to be a hookah, and this hookah-smoking caterpillar is how most of us got our first glimpse of this curiously strange smoking device. When Lewis Carroll wrote Alice Through the Looking Glass in 1865, hookahs had been in existence and in use for several centuries.

The origins of the hookah come from the north western provinces of India along the border of Pakistan in Rajasthan and Gujarat, nearly a millennia back. These hookahs were simple, primitive, and rugged in design, usually made from a coconut shell base and tube with a head attached. They were designed to smoke opium and hashish. The hookah made its way through the Persian Kingdom, which also included Pakistan, Afghanistan, much of Middle Asia and Arab parts of Northern Africa.

Hookahs are referred to by many other names (often of Arab, Indian, Turkish, Uzbek or Persian origin). Arghile or Nargila are the names most commonly used in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Albania, Kosova, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria and Romania, though the initial "n" is often dropped in Arabic. "Narghile" is from the Persian word "nārgil" or "coconut", from Sanskrit nārikela (नारिकेल)--as the original hookahs were made out of coconut shells. Shisha (شيشة) is from the Persian word shishe (شیشه, literally translated as glass; not bottle), and is primarily used for water pipes in Egypt and the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf (such as Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia) as well as Morocco, Tunisia, Somalia and Yemen. In Iran it is called ghalyun (غلیون), ghālyun (قالیون), or ghalyān (قلیان) and in India and Pakistan, the hookah is referred to as huqqa (हुक्का /حقہ).

The hookah filters the smoke from heated flavored tobacco through cool water or wine. The flavor of the smoke can be enhanced by dipping the tobacco in honey and fruit molasses. When heated, the molasses and honey steam, creating a delightfully fragrant and aromatic smoking experience.

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Sources:
Ancient Treasures
Main image: La Servante du Harem
Lady with Hookah, oil, courtesy Exotic India
Table elements courtesy of Triples with Emma
Page background Ambo Graphics
Page design by Xena

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Welcome Goldfest Travelers!

Things to do:
Post Your Own Drinking Cup
Concierge and Guestbook
Visit The Hall of One Hundred Kantharos