Everything you wanted to know about shisha

Where did it originate?

• Unsure of inventor, various claims are made
• Irfan Shaikh, Abu'l-Fath amongst others
• No physical evidence of existence before 1560s
• Either way, almost certainly invented in Persia

What did people smoke?

• Tobacco didn't get to Persia until the 1600s
• No evidence to prove what was smoked before tobacco was introduced

What were early pipes like?

• Pipes are sometimes known as "nargile" which mean coconut
• Therefore early pipes may have been made out of coconut shells
• Later on, brass, copper or alloys were used

When Did They Become Commercial?

• Shah Safi of Persia banned hookah
• Reconsidered when he realised the income potential
• During reign of Abbas II, shisha became an addiction and therefore lucrative

When did they come to the West?

• Introduced in late 1600s
• Immigrants from Persia and North Africa brought them
• First introduced in Turkey
• Then migrated to Paris and London

Where were the first Cafés?

• Hookah Lounges originated in India
• Then spread to Egypt and Turkey
• Now found in most countries of the world
• Most capital cities now have thriving lounge culture