Egypt To Host 'Battle Of The Hookahs' Thursday

Egypt on Thursday evening will host an international hookah (water pipe) tournament for the first time, according to one of the event's organizers.



Twenty hookah enthusiasts have registered to take part in the two-day event, which will be held at a Cairo conference hall, according to Khaled Massoud of Event Middle East, the British firm that is bringing the contest to Egypt.



"The tournament will demonstrate the diversity between hookah traditions in the East versus the West in the form of a competition," Massoud said.



A panel of experts will evaluate the competitors on best hookah design, presentation of hookah charcoal and tobacco quality.



The event is part of a hookah "world cup," dubbed the "Hookah Battle," being organized by a Russian company, Massoud said.



Four winners (over 18 years old) will be chosen by the judges and one by the audience, according to Massoud.



Hookah smoking has gone from being an elite Middle Eastern pastime in the nineteenth century to a common local custom and favored tourist experience across the region – especially in Egypt, where hookahs are known as "shishas."



Numerous medical studies have found that hookahs bear the same health risks as cigarette-smoking.



By Kawthar al-Kholi



englishnews@aa.com.tr - Kahire