Hookah Water Pipes from Egypt

Some call it a hookah (Egyptians), others nargile (Lebanese).

The ancient hookah pipe has been used for centuries to smoke away the day's stress, while relaxing with friends and relatives.

The original hookah came from India, but it was rather primitive as it was made out of coconut shell. Its popularity spread to Iran and then to the rest of the Arab world. But it was in Turkey that the hookah completed its revolution, and did not change its style for the last few hundred years.

Unfortunately like most wonderful thing from the past, the hookah suffered a decline with the availability of the cigarettes. Smoking a hookah is nothing like smoking a cigarette, Cigarettes are for nervous people, competitive people, people on the run.

When you smoke a hookah, you have time to think. It teaches you patience and tolerance, and gives you an appreciation of a good company. Sheesha smokers have a much more balanced approach to life than cigarette smokers do. The smoke is noticeably cooler than cigarette smoke, and lightly intoxicating. Before long, the water begins to turn brown; smokers' say it is filtering out many of the harmful substances that they would otherwise be inhaling.

The hookah (sheesha) consists of four parts, the bottom part is made of glass where the water is contained. This part is connected to a brass (sometimes stainless steel) figure top which is the "the heart " of the sheesha, this part, the regulator, takes the smoke from the tobacco when the person inhales from the "lai" (the flexible tube which end by mouthpiece). The whole apparatus, made of a variety of materials, which might be glass, brass, gold, silver, wood or cane, is richly decorated.

The hookah tobacco "MU'ASSEL" comes in different flavors. It is available in natural plain flavor like "Zaghloul" the most world-wide famous brand for hookah tobacco, or in different flavors like apple "Tofahah", which is the most popular, strawberry, mint, apricot, rose and many other flavors.