Handmade hookah stems revive traditional carpentry in Baghdad
Shafaq News – Baghdad
In the narrow backstreets of al-Alawi Street in central Baghdad, small carpentry workshops are producing handmade wooden hookah stems, locally known as bakkar, reviving a traditional craft as woodworkers adapt their skills to renewed demand.
Shafaq News visited several active workshops where craftsmen shape raw wood into bakkar—the central wooden stem of a hookah—using manual lathes and hand tools inside modest neighborhood workshops long associated with Baghdad’s artisanal trades.
The bakkar forms the middle section of the hookah, serving as the connecting piece between the clay tobacco head at the top and the glass base below, which is filled with water. Craftsmen say the quality and balance of this wooden stem play a key role in the durability of the entire water pipe.
“This trade saved our profession,” said Mohammed, a workshop owner, explaining that many carpenters turned to bakkar production as demand for traditional wooden furniture declined. “It has become our main source of income.”
Some bakkar designs, including pieces made from willow wood and others shaped in forms inspired by mosque domes, a style commonly referred to by craftsmen as the “Islamic design.” These visual elements.
Hookah smoking—also known internationally as shisha or waterpipe smoking—remains widespread across Iraq and much of the Middle East, sustaining steady demand for durable components used in cafés and traditional coffeehouses. Despite the availability of imported metal hookahs, locally crafted wooden stems continue to be valued for their craftsmanship and cultural identity.
According to another craftsman, Abu Mohammed, workshops in al-Alawi supply bakkar stems to traders and café owners who distribute them throughout the country. “Most orders come from coffeehouses that need pieces able to withstand constant daily use,” he said.
For carpenters struggling to compete with mass-produced goods, bakkar making has become a practical lifeline—preserving essential woodworking skills while keeping Baghdad’s small craft workshops active.
