Figure 1.

A schematic depiction of a waterpipe with topography unit attached. The head (fired clay), body (metal or wood), water bowl (metal or glass), and corrugated hose (leather or nylon stretched over a wound flexible wire coil support) are the primary elements. Tobacco is loaded into the head, where several large holes in the base allow the smoke to pass into the central conduit of the body that leads to the water bowl. When flavored tobacco known as ma’assel is used, as shown here, a relatively deep (ca. 3 cm) head is filled with 10–20 g of a flavored tobacco mixture and covered with an aluminum foil sheet that is perforated for air passage. Burning coals are placed on top of the aluminum foil. When a smoker inhales through the hose, smoke bubbles into the water bowl from the body.