Sofhu makes Arabic majlis sets to order and ships them free to Tunisia. For a Tunisian salon arabe you can choose a raised, upholstered majlis, which is closest to the local banquette, or a low floor sofa, both cut to your wall measurements and filled with 32 kg/m³ high-density foam. Breathable, removable covers suit the humid coastal summers.
- Local names
- Salon arabe, salon tunisien, bit el-mejlis
- Seat options
- Raised majlis, low floor sofa or wooden bench set
- Foam
- 32 kg/m³ (32 DNS), no springs
- Covers
- Zippered, removable, washable at 30°C
- Made by
- Sofhu, manufacturer in Türkiye
- Shipping
- Free worldwide
- Duties and taxes
- May apply. Ask before ordering
On this page
In Tunisia the room has more than one name. Many families say salon arabe or salon tunisien, and in Kairouan the reception room of a traditional house is the bit el-mejlis. What a buyer usually wants from an Arabic majlis in Tunisia is the same thing in every case: generous seating along the walls, made properly, in the right size for the room. Sofhu manufactures these sets in Türkiye, cuts them to your measurements and ships them free.
How Tunisian homes seat their guests
Traditional houses in the medinas of Tunis and Kairouan are built around a courtyard, with reception rooms opening off it. Seating in the reception room runs along the walls, often as a banquette with mattresses and cushions, and the habit carries on in the salon arabe corner of many modern villas. Written sources on the furniture itself are thin, so take this as a general picture.
This is worth saying plainly, because it affects what you order. Sofhu makes two different products. The Arabic majlis is raised to sofa height and fully upholstered, with a solid base, tall fixed backs and arm bolsters, and it is the closer match to a Tunisian salon on its base. The Arabic floor sofa is low: a seat mattress near the floor with loose back cushions, an ottoman and floor pillows. Neither is more authentic than the other. The page on the Tunisian majlis and salon covers the tradition, and floor seating versus a raised diwan compares the two heights.
Four ways to build a salon arabe
| Option | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Arabic majlis | Raised upholstered units with fixed backs and arm bolsters | A formal salon arabe, older guests |
| Arabic floor sofa | Seat mattresses, loose back cushions and armrests near the floor | Family rooms, children |
| Wooden bench set | Handmade wooden frames with seat and back cushions | Terraces, courtyards, a rustic salon |
| Cushions only | Seats and backs cut for a bench you already have | Houses with built-in masonry seating |
A majlis like the beige and gold one above lines the walls at sofa height, which is how most Tunisian salons are used. The black and cream majlis at the top of this page is the same product in a U.
A floor sofa, like the navy set above, keeps the room open and low, and it does not scratch tiled floors. It is not freestanding, so every run needs a wall behind it.
The wooden bench sets lift the seat off the floor. They are shown on the existing page about Sofhu’s wooden bench majlis sets. Sofhu does not publish the species of wood, so ask if that matters to you.
All three use the same filling: 32 kg/m³ polyurethane foam with no springs. Density describes how much material is in the cushion, and denser foam generally keeps its height and support longer. You can ask for a softer or firmer feel.
Is a Moroccan sofa the same thing
People searching for a Moroccan sofa in Tunisia are usually picturing the Maghrebi salon: a continuous banquette around the room with firm mattresses and many cushions. The Moroccan sedari is the best-known version, on a wooden base, and it is a raised seat, not a floor seat. Tunisia and Algeria have their own versions of the same room.
Sofhu is not a maker of Moroccan sedaris in the strict sense. What it offers is the same layout, built to your walls, as a raised majlis, as a low floor sofa or on its own wooden benches, with the fabric and colour you choose. Read Moroccan sedari and salon marocain and the Algerian salon oriental for the neighbouring traditions, and Yemeni, Saudi and Moroccan majlis compared for the differences in one place.
Cafés, hotels and guesthouses
The salon arabe corner is as much a commercial fixture as a domestic one, in hotels, cafés and guesthouses along the coast and on Djerba. A commercial set has to take more wear and more spills than a family room.
- Choose a patterned woven fabric that hides marks between washes.
- Ask for the firmer foam option, since café seats are used all day.
- Plan removable armrests so groups of different sizes can be seated.
- Order spare covers in the same fabric at the same time, and ask Sofhu whether that is possible for your design.
Sofhu accepts wholesale enquiries from small and large businesses. The existing pages on the Arabic majlis for cafés and the Arabic majlis for hotels show how the sets are used, and our guide to floor seating restaurant design covers spacing and service.
Fabric for the coast and for the south
Most Tunisians live near the Mediterranean, where summers are hot and humid. The south is drier and hotter still. Both climates argue for covers that breathe and come off.
Linen is the natural first choice. Sofhu describes its linen as highly absorbent and refreshing in hot weather, as explained on the linen floor sofa page. Flat woven and kilim-pattern fabrics are a good second option and suit a salon with tiled walls and painted woodwork. Velvet and chenille are warmer to the touch and belong in an air-conditioned formal room or a house used mainly in winter.
Every cover is zippered. Sofhu states that covers can be removed and washed at 30°C, which matters in a humid house where fabric picks up damp and cooking smells. For a terrace or a courtyard edge, Sofhu describes its outdoor fabric as water-resistant and able to handle light rain.
Arabic sofa set delivery to Tunisia
Sofhu has no shop, agent or stock in Tunisia. A set is made in Türkiye after the design is agreed, vacuum packed so the foam travels compressed, and handed to a cargo carrier. Shipping is free. No delivery time for Tunisia is published, so ask for current timing with your quote.
Duties or taxes may apply depending on the destination. This page does not state what Tunisian customs will charge, because Sofhu has not confirmed it. Ask before you order.
From measurements to an order
The article on how to order a custom majlis online describes each step. In brief:
- Measure each wall at floor level, and the height of any windowsill the backs must sit under.
- Mark doors, alcoves and columns.
- Decide between a raised majlis, a floor sofa and a wooden bench set.
- Choose a fabric direction and send photos of the room.
The Arabic majlis hub shows the full range of styles. When you are ready, get a quote by measurement or write to Sofhu on WhatsApp.
