The Turkish Water Pipe or Nargile was very popular during the Ottoman Empire from the 17th to the 19th centuries, but saw a fall-off in demand in the Turkish Republic as tobacco-lovers switched to cigarettes. After World War II, it was mostly old men who smoked nargiles.

Between raindrops, coming from the Galata-bridge we stumbled in this small mecca for Water Pipe smokers. The place was full of smoke and irritated even slightly my throat, so we sticked to the Turkish tea while looking around at all these colourful pipes.

When I came here 39 years ago, all those old Water-Pipe-men were sitting at the small shops under the Galata bridge. Nowadays those establishments are apparently shifted to small mecca's as a tourist attraction for young and old, men and women, but still lots of local old men shifted also to these places.

This young man was enjoying his Water Pipe, sitting in front of an old painting ornamentating the place here.