| The body, or govde, of a hookah pipe consists of a | | | | materials used in making hookahs were blown glass, |
| curved vessel which holds water. A graceful stem | | | | often highly decorated in gold or enamel painting, brass, |
| rises from the body and at the top of the stem is a | | | | aluminum, silver, porcelain, clay, carved stone and |
| bowl, or lle, which holds the tobacco. From one to | | | | wood, and leather. All these same materials are used |
| several flexible hoses, the marpuc, with a mouthpiece, | | | | today, with the addition of stainless steel, Pyrex glass, |
| or agizlik, at the end, are used to draw the hookah | | | | plastic, rubber, and high quality acrylics, among others. |
| smoke down through the water. The hookah tobacco | | | | In restaurants and smoking lounges, individually |
| is heated by charcoal and the water filters and cools | | | | wrapped, disposable plastic mouthpieces are provided |
| the smoke. The water gurgles gently, like a woodland | | | | for each smoker. Other accoutrements of the hookah |
| stream, and, in the process, makes the smoke smooth | | | | pipe and tobacco include the hookah charcoal and |
| and cool. | | | | metal tongs. The charcoal is typically in coin-sized |
| The word shisha, which is often another word for | | | | pieces and each lasts for about 30 minutes in the slow |
| hookah, comes from the Persian meaning glass or | | | | smoking tobacco mixture. |
| bottle. Hookahs and the culture of hookah smoking is | | | | Certain etiquette applies to the smoking of hookah |
| often referred to as hookah shisha. Somewhat | | | | pipes: the water pipes are meant to be on the ground, |
| confusingly, at first, people also refer to hookah | | | | rather than on a high table or shelf, with the smokers |
| tobacco as shisha, or hookah shisha--and there is a | | | | seated on cushions or low seats around it--though in |
| Shisha brand of hookah shisha! | | | | modern hookah lounges, they often appear on tables. |
| Hookah pipes today come in many styles, from | | | | Shared hookah pipes are not supposed to be passed, |
| Egyptian to Syrian, traveling, mini and mod models to | | | | but rather set down after smoking so that the next |
| specialty and custom designs. There is a world of | | | | smoker can take up the pipe at their leisure. |
| history in the craftsmanship of hookah pipes. Traditional | | | | |