The origins of the shisha

Whether you are a regular or simply curious enough to bring the subject up at the coffee machine, here is where the shisha comes from. Some of it may come as a surprise.

The shisha: a contested history

An eastern cultural tradition, the water pipe is used as a way of bringing family or friends together. It has been in use for generations across the Middle East. Beyond the pastime itself, the water pipe has other things to tell us.

The water pipe has roots in Persia, Africa and India, but also in America and Europe. A genuine object of craft, it was a sought-after present, often given as a gift. The shape we know today is thought to date back to the sixteenth century and to have appeared in India. In that country, smoking tobacco was a tradition in which the smoke was said to be purified by the water. The object also allowed families to display their high social standing.

A century later, the Persians developed the water pipe and made it available to everyone. It was not until the eighteenth century that the Turks in turn took an interest in it. Common among the wealthy, the shisha was even reserved for diplomatic meetings. Finally, throughout the nineteenth century, the shisha spread across the whole of the Middle East. Adding fruit and molasses to the tobacco was also tried out, though the customs remained unchanged, as the pipe continued to be shared between relatives, friends and even strangers.

Why has the shisha spread across the world?

Unlike a cigarette, the shisha allows the taste of the tobacco to be varied by adding fresh fruit, juice, fruit essences and so on. It is also, and above all, a collective object. Shisha bars have opened all over the world, built around the idea of spending time together with friends or family rather than around individual use.