Offering one to a guest became an important sign of trust, and withholding it could be taken as a serious insult. In 1841, a diplomatic crisis broke out between France and the Ottoman Empire after the sultan declined to offer the French ambassador a chance to smoke with him. The advent of the cigarette, a development that many nargile smokers consider one of the most deplorable in human history, forever changed the way Turks use tobacco. But at places like the Erzurum Salon, named after a town in Anatolia, old ways are still respected and old preasures still enjoyed. There is not much noise inside.
Conversation is only occasional, and always soft.
The sound of dominoes being played or backgammon tokens being moved is often all that competes with the soft gurgle of bubbling water. Some patrons work absently on crossword puzzles and others seem lost in contemplation. No alcohol is served, as is traditional in nargile cafes, and smokers usually sip coffee or tea as they puff. Every few hours, the Muslim call to prayer issues from the Molla Celebi Mosque nearby, and about half the patrons leave, returning after their devotions. When urban renewal forced it to move to its present location near the Bosphorus in 1991, its clientele faithfully followed.