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Terminology

Portrait of Mustapha Aga, emissary of the Ottoman Empire to the Swedish Court in 1727, smoking Sam nargile. George Engelhardt Schroeder (1684-1750).

Often there is confusion with terminology. In the west, the device itself is referred to as a Hookah, and the tobacco/molasses is referred to as the Shisha. However, in the Arab world, the device itself is called a shisha (in reference to its glass base) and the tobacco is called moassel. Depending on locality, hookahs or Shishas may be referred to by many names: Arabic Language use it as Shisha or Nargeela or Argeela and they use it throughout the whole of the Arab World Turkish people use it as Narghilè but pronounced Argilah is the name most commonly used in Turkey, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, and Syria. Narghile derives from the Persian word nārghile, meaning coconut, which in turn is from the Sanskrit word nārikela (नारिकेला), suggesting that early hookahs were hewn from coconut shells.

In Albania, Bosnia, Croatia the hookah is called "Lula" or "Lulava" in Romani, meaning "pipe," the word "shishe" refers to the actual bottle piece.

Shisha (شيشة), from the Persian word shīshe (شیشه), meaning glass, is the common term for the hookah in Egypt and the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf (including Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, UAE, and Saudi Arabia), Palestine and in Morocco, Tunisia, Somalia and Yemen.
In Iran, hookah is called غلیون "Ghalyoon". In Uzbekistan, hookah is called "Chillim". In India and Pakistan the name most similar to the English hookah is used: huqqa (हुक्का /حقہ).

The commonness of the Indian word "hookah" in English is a result of the British Raj, the British dominion of India (1858–1947), when large numbers of expatriate Britons first sampled the water-pipe. William Hickey, shortly after arriving in Kolkata, India, in 1775, wrote in his Memoirs The most highly-dressed and splendid hookah was prepared for me. I tried it, but did not like it. As after several trials I still found it disagreeable, I with much gravity requested to know whether it was indispensably necessary that I should become a smoker, which was answered with equal gravity, "Undoubtedly it is, for you might as well be out of the world as out of the fashion. Here everybody uses a hookah, and it is impossible to get on without" I have frequently heard men declare they would much rather be deprived of their dinner than their hookah.

Culture

IRAN (PERSIANS)

In Iran, the hookah is known as a GHELYOON (Persian: قليان, قالیون, غلیون, also spelled ghalyan, ghalyaan or ghelyoon). It is similar in many ways to the Arabic hookah but has its own unique attributes. An example is the top part of the ghalyoun called 'sar' (Persian: سر=head), where the tobacco is placed, is bigger than the ones seen in Turkey. Also the major part of the hose is flexible and covered with soft silk or cloth while the Turkish make the wooden part as big as the flexible part.

Each person has his own personal mouthpiece (called an Amjid) (امجید), Amjid is usually made of wood or metal and decorated with valuable or other stones. Amjids are only used for their fancy look. However, all the Hookah Bars have plastic mouth-pieces.
Use of water pipes in Iran can be traced back to the Qajar period. In those days the hoses were made of sugar cane. Iranians had a special tobacco called Khansar (خانسار, presumably name of the origin city). The charcoals would be put on the Khansar without foil. Khansar has less smoke than the normal tobacco. Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, Shah of Persia (1848-1896) is reputed to have considered a hookah mouthpiece pointed at him an insult.
The smoking of hookahs is very popular with young people in Iran, and many young people can be seen smoking them in local tea shops.
The hookah was, until recently, served to all ages; Iranian officials have since passed a law forbidding its use by those under 20.

ARAB WORLD

Bedouin smoking hookah, locally called argileh, in a coffeehouse in Deir ez-Zor, near the Euphrates River, 1920s.

In the, people smoke it as part of their culture and traditions. Social smoking is done with a single or double, and sometimes even more numerous such as a triple or quadruple hose in the forms of parties or small get-togethers. When the smoker is finished, either the hose is placed back on the table signifying that it is available, or it is handed from one user to the next, folded back on itself so that the mouthpiece is not pointing at the recipient. It has been recorded that the Arabs are the biggest shisha smokers in the World and have the most shisha Cafes.

In and restaurants, however, it is common for each smoker to order an individual hookah. Most cafés (Arabic: مقهىً, transliteration : maqhah, translation: coffeeshop) in the Middle East offer shishas. Cafés are widespread and are amongst the chief social gathering places in the Arab world (akin to public houses in Britain). Some expatriate Britons arriving in the Middle East adopt shisha cafés to make up for the lack of pubs in the region, especially where prohibition is in place.

ISRAEL

Hookahs for sale in Jerusalem at the shuk. In Israel, smoking hookah is not only a tradition, but culture. Hookah is prevalent among Middle Eastern Jewish immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Yemen (collectively known as Mizrahi Jews). Hookah use is also common in the Arab home where families will commonly smoke after a large meal or at a family gathering. Hookahs are becoming increasingly popular within Israel particularly among tourists. Shops selling paraphernalia can be found on most high streets and markets. Most nightclubs also have hookahs. In 2005, due to an increase in use among youth, a campaign was launched by The Israel Cancer Association warning against the hazards of hookah smoking, and the IDF has forbidden the use of hookahs by soldiers within its bases.