Narghile or Hookah is the oldest tradition in Turkey. Not many would know but the original nargile came from our own country India (YO), but it was rather primitive as it was made out of a coconut shell ( you know how we Indians are, smoking from a coconut shell, wow). Over the years it spread to Iran and then to the rest of the Arab world. It was in Turkey that the nargile completed its revolution. Nargile soon became a part of the Turkish culture. The Hookah soon became the in thing from the 19th century to the early 20th century. It was very popular and fashionable with the elite class. But like they say when something is at its peak, it can only go one way and that is down, by the mid 20th century the hookah too suffered a decline with the availability of the cigarettes.
In the past there have been some studies regarding smoking Hookah and health. While Cigarettes burn directly the contents of a flavored mahsell bowl (For hookah) do not because it is smoked at a lower temperature! It is a general perception that moderate and occasional hookah smoking with normal ma'asell is not a totally serious health risk compared to a pack of cigarettes. However one cannot deny that any kind of tobacco consumption poses certain health risks. Like they say smoking is an adult choice. It’s your decision which counts.
