Among the variety of devices for smoking, Egyptian hookah stands out as a separate category. The country is famous for its smoking traditions. In Egypt, hookah is not just a pastime, it is a whole culture. She is cherished and handed down from generation to generation. The device itself has a number of features. Its design has not changed for several centuries.
Hookah in Egypt
A real Egyptian hookah under the Khalil Mamoon brand is always assembled separately. Variations can be a huge amount. A variety of components (flasks, bowls, shafts, hoses) allows you to assemble a smoking device with characteristics that correspond to the taste of the buyer.
Product dimensions are always taken into account. A flask is selected for the height and weight of the mine. It should easily hold the shaft in a stable position.
Diameter for a hookah mine is an important indicator. The wider the diameter, the easier it is to smoke. The process itself is designed to relax a person. A narrow shaft forces you to exert a lot of effort to inhale smoke, relaxation with this option is very doubtful. Egyptian mines are distinguished by a large diameter, it does not happen less than 12 cm (in real authentic ones).
The mines themselves in working hookahs are at least 50 cm high. All that is smaller is souvenir products. Smoking small hookahs is uncomfortable and also dangerous. The most harmful is getting hot smoke in the lungs. With small sizes of hookah, a small amount of water in the flask simply cannot cool the smoke to a safe temperature.
Huge two-meter specimens are designed to decorate the interior. You need to have very powerful lungs in order to be able to inhale smoke from such a giant.
Bowl
Egyptian clay hookah bowl. There are modern materials, plastic or silicone, from which the bowls are made, but not in Egyptian products. A smoking culture requires the use of natural materials. The bowl may be made of ceramic, metal or clay. It has 4-6 holes.
Outwardly, it should not have any flaws, chips, cracks and the like. To check the quality, it is flipped over the socket on a hard smooth surface. Tight fit indicates the quality of the product. The inner surface should be free from defects, have a smooth surface and fit onto a hookah without any problems.
Flask
This element plays the role of a second filter, clearing the tar from the smoke and cooling it. The size of the neck (its diameter), material, manufacturing technology, the ratio of the shape and size of the bulb to the height of the product are the main criteria by which the bulb for a large hookah is selected.
The Egyptian version suggests that this part of the product is made of glass. Previously, they were made from fruits - coconuts. But the fragility and rapid deterioration of such a flask forced the craftsmen to look for new materials. They used wood, clay, and finally glass. The shape of the flask is a bell.
Glass products have a number of advantages:
- tightness;
- durability (with proper handling, they serve for many years);
- comfortable to care for (easy to clean);
- they show the water level;
- inexpensive.
The last statement applies to mass products. A handmade glass bulb will cost much more. Egyptian flasks of high quality, stable. They are usually painted in traditional motives for this country.
In the market you can find designer flasks. Each of them has a unique pattern and is performed in a single copy. A large hookah with such an original and unique flask can become a highlight of the interior.
Hose
The large inner diameter of the hose provides comfortable smoking. Its length should not be less than 2 meters. The materials from which the hoses are made are silicone, plastic, leather, rubber. Sometimes a metal spiral is inserted inside. Not the best option. Over time, the spiral rusts and begins to crumble. Dust gets into the hose.
Modern silicone hoses do an excellent job of cooling the smoke, are easy to maintain and durable. In Egyptian hookahs, leather hoses are more often used, they are more expensive, but are considered the best in quality.
The Egyptians always smoke hookah alone: one hookah - one person. Multi-hose products are an invention of the Americans. A true Egyptian hookah has only one hose.
Varieties
The Egyptian hookah can be shisha or goza. They differ in that the shisha is smoked through a hose, and the goza is smoked through a wooden spout.
Products can be divided into the following groups:
- Egyptian hookah (shisha) medium. Its height is 50 cm, it is made of metal and glass, equipped with a ball valve (to remove excess smoke).
- Egyptian hookah (goza) average. Height is 60 cm, styled antique, the model has a ball valve. A distinctive feature is a small volume of water, only 150 ml.
- Egyptian hookah (Bori) medium. The height does not exceed 50 cm. It is made of metal, decorated with embossing, there is no valve.
Benefits
The Egyptian hookah has a number of undeniable advantages:
- possesses good draft;
- only high-quality metal is used for its manufacture;
- the walls of the shaft are of sufficient thickness;
- uniqueness of each device thanks to manual work;
- beauty and originality of design flasks;
- does not cause nicotine addiction (smoke passes through the filter, and the nicotine content in it is significantly reduced);
- smoke exits the pipe only when puffed.
Of the many manufacturers and well-known brands, most buyers choose Egyptian hookahs. Reviews of smokers about this quality product only in excellent shape. Ease of smoking, excellent cravings, and the quality of the product itself are noted.
Handwork makes each device one of a kind. Additional jewelry (chasing, inlay), made in the best traditions of Egyptian masters, make hookahs unique pieces of folk art.