Hassouni Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 So we all know that it's part of the culture of the Arab World, Iran, Turkey, and I guess to some extent India. I'm curious though - how far into Europe is nargile smoking a normal thing vs something that arrived with immigrants? Obviously a lot of Europe was under Ottoman control for a long time, especially the Balkans and Greece...Turkey has a border with Greece and Bulgaria - does the smoking cross the border? Or, for example, İzmir seems to be a big centre for nargile production and smoking, but that had an enormous Greek population until about a hundred years ago - so did they take nargiles back to Greece with them after the population exchange? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustafabey Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 I know they are still used in Albania and Kosovo, probably Bosnia, too. Anywhere there still is a sizeable Muslim population. I wonder about Turkish "guest" workers in Germany. Did the dhow traffic transplant them to Zanzibar and the Malay/Indonesian area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyCallMeDave Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 [quote name='mustafabey' timestamp='1287329493' post='485317'] I know they are still used in Albania and Kosovo, probably Bosnia, too. Anywhere there still is a sizeable Muslim population. I wonder about Turkish "guest" workers in Germany. Did the dhow traffic transplant them to Zanzibar and the Malay/Indonesian area? [/quote] Definantly Albania, and I know for a fact Bosnia. I have a Bosnian friend who told me about her experience with them when she would take visits back home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROX Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Bosnia it is, right next door to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROX Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 On the other end of Europe, Morocco is the closest. It may also be thing in some Russian republics where there are a lot of muslims, mostly in the Caucasus. But yeah, Bosnia is the deepest into Europe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hassouni Posted October 17, 2010 Author Share Posted October 17, 2010 [quote name='mustafabey' timestamp='1287329493' post='485317'] I know they are still used in Albania and Kosovo, probably Bosnia, too. Anywhere there still is a sizeable Muslim population. I wonder about Turkish "guest" workers in Germany. Did the dhow traffic transplant them to Zanzibar and the Malay/Indonesian area? [/quote] Zanzibar was all Omanis...shishas (as they call them) didn't arrive there until quite late, from what I understand. And in Muslim SE Asia, I know the shisha places are run by Arab immigrants I had a suspicion that they exist in the Balkans... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcane Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 i thought this was pretty cool: http://tinyurl.com/2baz9bs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antouwan Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 I know in Greece and Armenia that they're present, but the activity is looked down upon as being 'Turkish' and due to the nature of Greco-turk relations, as well as the armenians...it isn't all that popular. Also, while I was on vacation in spain we found a couple places that served hookah, but it isn't popular with the locals as being something that is regarded as "moorish" so the local communities leave it for the immigrants. The moroccans DEFINITELY use this to their economic advantage and give you the RIP if you try and buy one over there. however, speaking arabic with them cuts the price almost in half immediately and you can commence negotiations with them from there...that was [i]convenient[/i] haha i'm sure for Croats, serbs and montenegrans it isn't popular either because the activity may be regarded as something that the 'muslims in kosovo do'. ROX may correct me if i'm wrong though, that's pure speculation on my part. the religious stigma is hilarious, imo. the europeans act as if those that do it do so as a way to project their religious conviction, while i know some muslims that refuse because they say it's haram - that view is in the minority, though. i'm a leb guy, it doesn't matter if i'm maronite, orthodox, druze, sunni or shi'ia we just do it because we do...that whole thought is alien to me. who says just because i'm smoking argilé that i can't enjoy a glass of sangria, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hassouni Posted October 18, 2010 Author Share Posted October 18, 2010 Actually if you recall, I declared the Kalimotxo the ultimate argileh-time drink. I bet sangria goes fantastic too hehehehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antouwan Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 [quote name='Hassouni' timestamp='1287439710' post='485474'] Actually if you recall, I declared the Kalimotxo the ultimate argileh-time drink. I bet sangria goes fantastic too hehehehe [/quote] true that. but i've got an awesome recipe for sangria from spain...so i've been all over that recently. I like to crack open an almaza every now and again too, if i'm feeling extra leb (that also means blaring the assi el hellani or mashrou3 leila if i'm in the indy mood). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hassouni Posted October 19, 2010 Author Share Posted October 19, 2010 How about a "mexican beer" you know, with the lemon and salt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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