Hubbly-Bubbly Smoking (Gallyun)

The water-pipe (gallyun in Iran, shisheh in Arab countries, or narghileh in Turkey) is very much part of everyday life in Iran (which is not the same as saying that everyone smokes it everyday). It is regarded as a normal part of socializing and, in addition to being available in most restaurants and cafes, most households possess a pipe of sorts, some of them extraordinarily quaint and elaborate heirlooms. Although it is Egypt and Turkey which have popularized this hobby (and it is in most cases a hobby rather than a habit), it is Iran who gave it to the rest of the world. The very words shishe and narghileh are from the Iranian words meaning ‘glass’ and ‘coconut’ respectively – the ‘glass’ obviously being the base of the pipe, while the ‘coconut’ refers to the Indian origins of water-pipes, where they were first made out of coconut shells.