Shisha isn't new. Hookah culture's deep...

We've rounded up some histories for you of this ancient practice that's en vogue around the world and across cultures today.

The nargile is a water pipe chiefly used in the Middle East and Central Asia for smoking tobacco. It is composed of several parts: the chimney, the top bowl, the body, the immersion pipe, the hose, and the reservoir of water.

Tobacco was reportedly introduced into Persia by the Portuguese in the early 16th century, writes iranicaonline.org. The shah disliked tobacco and made its use illegal but people kept using it.

65passed the smoke of tobacco through a small bowl of water to purify and cool the smoke and thus invented the hubble-bubble or hookah66