One
of the oldest and deep rooted traditions in Turkey is the
Nargile (Hookah), with both men and women finding great
pleasure in smoking the waterpipe. The nargile started a
whole new culture which endured for many, many years. Even
today the nargile gives enjoyment to a special breed of
smokers. The
original nargile 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 nargile completed its revolution,
and did not change its style for the last few hundred years.
The nargile became a very important part of the coffee shop
culture, finding its popularity in Turkey around the time
of Murat the IV'th, 1623-40.The joy that the smokers received
from this very simple yet beautiful smoking apparatus was
unbelievable. Rules were created even for lighting the pipe,
and if a professional smoker saw anyone lighting it the
incorrect way, the culprit would be told in no uncertain
term " Do yourself and the sacred nargile a favor and
put out the coals by blowing into it.
"The
nargile itself consists of 4 pieces which are as follows:
Agizlik (mouthpiece), Lüle (the top of the nargile),
Marpuç (the tube) and the Gövde (the body of
the pipe which is filled with water). All pieces of the
pipe were produced by special craftsmen, who were named
after the pece they produced. Even today, the areas where
these craftsmen used to concentrate are called by these
names, such as "Marpuççular."Lüles
were generally produced in Tophane by Lule makers and the
govde's (bottles) were manufactured in Beykoz. These govde's
were a unique exaple of Turkish handcraft and were decorated
with floral motifs. Some were made out of silver or crystal.
The agizlik's (mouthpieces) were generally carved out of
the top of quality amber, because people in those days believed
that amber was not the because
people in those days believed that amber was not the carrier
of germs.
Not
all tobaccos qualified for usage in the nargile, and only
the dark tobacco imported from Iran found favor with the
nargile user. This toabcco was washed several times before
use as it was extremely strong. Only oak charcoal was used
to be placed on the top of the tobacco. Some professional
nargile smokers used certain fruit, like sour cherries or
grapes in their govde just to enjoy the motion it created
in the water. Other people enjoyed adding pomegranate juice
or rose oil to their water for added flavor. The nargile
smoker hated anyone lighting their cigarettes on their nargile
fire because they felt it disturbed the rhythm of the burning
charcoal.
The
nargile was so popular and fashionable with the elite ladies
of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, that
it became the in thing to be photographed with a nargile.
If you wanted to be the hostess with the mostest the nargile
was a must for popular afternoon tea and intellectual gatherings.
Unfortunately like most wonderful things from the past,
the nargile suffered a decline with the availability of
the cigarettes. But still today, one is able to find a special
type of smoker that would only find their enjoyment from
smoking the nargile.
›Puffin
at the old hubble-bubble
›Inhale
the Pleasure of an Unhurried Ottoman Past
›Massell
(Molasses)
›Hookahs
in Western Painting
