A hookah, also known as a waterpipe is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) instrument for smoking in which the smoke is cooled and filtered by passing through water. The tobacco smoked is referred to as narghile or sheesha in the United States and Canada. Originally from India,hookah has gained popularity, especially in the Middle East and is gaining popularity in North America, South America, Europe and Australia. Here men can be seen smoking in a cafe in the popular area of Tophane, Istanbul, 2009

In the Arab world, people smoke narghile as part of their culture and traditions. Social smoking is done with a single or double hose, 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. Here men can be seen smoking in the popular area of Tophane. Istanbul, 2009