• Iraq's Kerbala city is not only well known as a place of pilgrimage, it is also famous for its signature wooden shisha pipes. Reuters
    Iraq's Kerbala city is not only well known as a place of pilgrimage, it is also famous for its signature wooden shisha pipes. Reuters
  • Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and health risks associated with smoking, shisha continues to be served in the city's cafes, meaning hookah workshops are busy, too. Reuters
    Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and health risks associated with smoking, shisha continues to be served in the city's cafes, meaning hookah workshops are busy, too. Reuters
  • Hookah-making workshops in Kerbala produce endless supplies of pipes, with one carpenter alone making 30-plus a day. Reuters
    Hookah-making workshops in Kerbala produce endless supplies of pipes, with one carpenter alone making 30-plus a day. Reuters
  • Carpenters shave the wood to give the pipes their distinctive shape. Reuters
    Carpenters shave the wood to give the pipes their distinctive shape. Reuters
  • Different colours, acrylic and designs can be added to make each pipe a decorative focal point. Reuters
    Different colours, acrylic and designs can be added to make each pipe a decorative focal point. Reuters
  • While local demand keeps the workshops busy, carpenters also receive orders from further afield, such as Lebanon and Europe. Reuters
    While local demand keeps the workshops busy, carpenters also receive orders from further afield, such as Lebanon and Europe. Reuters

MENA

A look inside a traditional wooden hookah pipe workshop in Iraq - in pictures

Shisha continues to be served in Kerbala city's cafes despite the pandemic

The National

June 17, 2021

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Iraq