An Arabic majlis can be ordered for any address in Northern Ireland. Sofhu builds each set to measure in Türkiye and ships it free, with no local shop involved. You send wall lengths and photos, choose the fabric and layout, and confirm with the team how customs will be handled for a Northern Ireland address before you place the order.
- Made by
- Sofhu, manufacturer, in Türkiye
- Ordering
- By measurement, online or on WhatsApp
- Layouts
- Single row, L-shape, U-shape
- Foam
- 32 kg/m³ (32 DNS) high-density foam
- Covers
- Zippered, removable, washable at 30°C
- Shipping
- Free worldwide, including Northern Ireland
- Customs
- Confirm with Sofhu before ordering
On this page
Ordering an Arabic majlis in Northern Ireland comes down to three practical questions: will it fit the room, what exactly arrives, and how does it get across the water. This page answers each in turn. Sofhu is the manufacturer, builds every set to measure in Türkiye and ships free worldwide, so the process is the same whether you live in Belfast, Lisburn or a village in Fermanagh.
Northern Ireland’s Muslim and Arab community is small and centred on Belfast. Floor seating is not something a high-street furniture shop carries, so ordering direct from the maker is the normal route. The notes below are written for someone doing it for the first time. UK-wide information is on the Arabic sofa in the United Kingdom page.
Start with the walls
Sofhu makes two products, and both belong against a wall. The Arabic majlis is raised, upholstered seating at sofa height, built to line the walls of a room. The Arabic floor sofa is a low seat mattress with loose back cushions that lean on the wall behind it. Neither is meant to stand in the middle of a room the way a settee can, so the walls you have decide the shape of the set.
- Sketch the room from above and mark the door, windows, radiators and fireplace.
- Measure each wall at floor level, in centimetres, from corner to corner.
- Measure any obstacle separately: how far the radiator is from the corner, how wide the door swing is.
- Photograph each wall and each corner.
- Decide which walls you want seating on.
That is what Sofhu needs to plan a set. The guide on how to order a custom majlis online follows the same steps in more detail.
Arabic floor seating: what arrives in a set
“A set” can mean seating alone or a furnished room. The chart below shows the four usual stages for a U-shaped floor sofa: the sofa by itself, then with a rug, then with an ottoman, then with loose floor cushions.
Each floor sofa run is made of a seat cushion, back cushions and armrests. All covers are zippered and come with their foam inserts. If the names of the pieces are new to you, the post on the parts of a majlis set labels every one.
Buy the seating first if the budget is tight. The rug and ottoman change the look of the room, but the seating is what you sit on every day.
Floor sofa or raised majlis
Not everyone wants to sit right on the floor. That is what the majlis is for: the seat stands on a solid upholstered base at sofa height.
The side view above shows a majlis from its end: the seat is well off the floor and easier to rise from. Households with grandparents often mix the two, a majlis along one wall and a floor sofa on the others. On a floor sofa, cushion thickness can also be chosen when you order. The majlis seat height guide explains the trade-offs without pretending there is one correct height.
A majlis sofa for a damp, cool climate
Northern Ireland is mild, wet and rarely hot. Two things follow.
Fabric first. Velvet and chenille are warm to the touch and suit rooms that are heated for much of the year. Sofhu describes its velvets as durable and easy to clean, and its chenille as shedding very little. Linen is cooler and more breathable, a better fit for a sun room than for a north-facing front room. The comparison of velvet, linen and jacquard majlis fabric goes through the choice.
Care second. Seats that sit against an outside wall benefit from being lifted and aired now and then. The covers unzip, and Sofhu states on its common questions page that they can be machine washed at 30°C. Dry them completely before zipping them back on.
Foam that keeps its shape
The seats are filled with 32 kg/m³ high-density foam, which Sofhu also calls 32 DNS. The figure is a density: one cubic metre of the foam weighs about 32 kg. Denser foam generally holds its height and support longer than light foam. Density is not the same as hardness, so you can still ask for a softer or firmer feel. There are no springs inside.
Arabic majlis delivery to Northern Ireland
Shipping is free. The set is vacuum packed at the workshop, which compresses the cushions for the journey. Open the bags by hand, without a knife or scissors, and the foam will recover its shape.
Customs is the one point to settle in advance. Duty or tax may apply depending on the destination, and the handling of goods bound for Northern Ireland should not be assumed to match England, Scotland or Wales. Ask Sofhu to confirm how an order to your postcode will be cleared before you pay anything. The post on how a majlis is packed and delivered covers the rest of the journey.
Next step
If you are in the city, the Belfast page has notes specific to the city. For anything unusual, such as a bay, a sloped ceiling or a room with two doors, the custom majlis hub shows what can be adjusted.
When your sketch and measurements are ready, get a quote by measurement or send them to Sofhu on WhatsApp.
