In Dandenong, Melbourne, most floor-seating buyers want an Afghan toshak set: long mattresses around the room with bolsters to lean on. Sofhu makes toshak-style and Arabic majlis sets to measure in Türkiye, filled with 32 kg/m³ foam, with zippered covers that can be machine washed. Shipping is free. There is no local shop, so you order by sending wall measurements.
- Leading style here
- Afghan toshak-style floor sets
- Maker
- Sofhu, manufacturer in Türkiye
- Local shop
- None in Dandenong; made to order
- Filling
- 32 kg/m³ (32 DNS) foam, no springs
- Toshak covers
- Zippered; machine wash cold, inside out
- Shipping
- Free worldwide
On this page
A toshak is a long floor mattress, and in an Afghan home it is the furniture. People sit on it, eat on it and, when guests stay, sleep on it. Dandenong has one of the largest Afghan communities in Australia, so when people here search for an Arabic majlis in Dandenong, Melbourne, a toshak set is usually what they have in mind. This page starts there.
Toshak seating in Dandenong’s Afghan homes
Dandenong, in Melbourne’s south-east, has a large Afghan community, most of it Hazara. The Thomas Street precinct is officially branded the Afghan Bazaar, with Afghan bakeries, grocers and restaurants. You can buy the bread and the rice for a guest meal within a few doors of each other.
The seating is harder to find in the right size. A guest room is furnished by running toshaks end to end around the walls, with a balesht or back pillow behind each sitter and a carpet in the middle. Mattresses bought ready made rarely add up to the length of the wall. They leave a gap in the corner or stick out past the door.
What Sofhu makes, and how it differs from a traditional toshak
Sofhu builds toshak-style sets to the length of your walls, so the seating meets cleanly in the corners and stops where the door opens.
| Traditional toshak | Sofhu toshak-style set | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Bought as separate mattresses | Cut to your wall lengths |
| Filling | Varies by maker | 32 kg/m³ (32 DNS) foam |
| Back support | Loose balesht | Backrest cushions, or loose on request |
| Cover | Often sewn on | Zippered and removable |
The covers have zips, and Sofhu states they can be machine washed in cold water, turned inside out. For a room where meals are eaten on the floor, that is the feature that matters most.
More detail is on the Afghan toshak style page, in our explainer on what a toshak is, and on Sofhu’s own premium Afghan toshak page.
Foam instead of cotton
A mattress stuffed with cotton or wool packs down with use and has to be shaken out and refluffed. Sofhu uses 32 kg/m³ (32 DNS) polyurethane foam with no springs. The figure means one cubic metre of the foam weighs about 32 kg. It is a measure of how much material is in the mattress, and denser foam generally keeps its height and support longer than light foam.
Density is not firmness. If you want the softer feel of a toshak you can lie on, or the firmer seat of an Arabic set, ask for it when you order, and choose the cushion thickness to match. The comparison of foam, cotton and wool fillings explains the differences.
Toshak or Arabic majlis
The two are close cousins. A toshak room is plain and flexible: long seats, loose pillows, nothing between sitters, and the same pieces serve as beds. An Arabic majlis is a different product: raised, fully upholstered and more formal, with a fixed backrest and an armrest between each pair of guests, like the burgundy and cream set below. Sofhu makes both, and its low cushion sets are sold as Arabic floor sofas.
Some Dandenong families choose a toshak set for the family room and a more structured Arabic majlis for the guest lounge. The toshak versus Arabic majlis comparison helps you decide. The closest relative of the toshak is the Persian arrangement, described on the Persian poshti page.
Measuring a Dandenong lounge
Sets are available as a single row, an L-shape or a U-shape. Because floor seating leans on the wall, the layout is set by how much clear wall you have.
- Measure each wall from corner to corner.
- Mark doors, windows that come low, heaters and wardrobes.
- Photograph the room from the doorway.
- Decide whether any seat needs to be long enough to sleep on.
Winters in Melbourne are cool. A carpet or rug in the centre and a thicker seat cushion keep a floor-level room comfortable through them.
Ordering and delivery
Sofhu is the manufacturer. It has no shop on Thomas Street or anywhere else in Dandenong, and holds no stock in Australia. Send your measurements and photos through the quote form or WhatsApp, agree the fabric and layout, and the set is made for your room, vacuum packed and shipped free. Import taxes or charges may apply to goods entering Australia, so ask Sofhu how your order will be handled before confirming.
See also majlis seating in Melbourne, the Broadmeadows page for Turkish sedir and Arabic sets, the national overview of Arabic sofas in Australia, and the full range of Arabic floor sofas.
