In Cairo a majlis sofa usually means a qa'da arabi in one corner of the reception, on the roof, or in a villa garden room. Sofhu makes the set in Türkiye to your wall measurements, with 32 kg/m³ foam and zippered covers that wash at 30°C, which matters in a dusty city. Shipping is free; confirm delivery to Egypt first.
- Local name
- Qa'da arabi (قعدة عربي)
- Reception corner
- L-shape or single row
- Villa garden room
- U-shape on three walls
- Dust advice
- Tight weave, mid tones, wash covers often
- Shipping
- Free; confirm delivery to Egypt first
On this page
Which corner gets the qa’da arabi? That is the real question behind a search for a majlis sofa in Cairo. Few flats in the city give a whole room to Arabic seating. It goes in one end of the reception, up on the roof, or, in the newer compounds, in a garden room. Sofhu builds the set in Türkiye to the measurements of whichever space you choose, and ships it free. Delivery to Egypt has to be confirmed for your order, as explained at the end.
Sofhu makes two products for this. The Arabic majlis, shown in the photos on this page, is raised to sofa height on an upholstered base with a fixed back, and sits comfortably beside a salon suite. The Arabic floor sofa is low and loose, a mattress seat on the floor with back cushions and armrest blocks, closer to an informal qa’da on a rug.
Three Cairo rooms, three layouts
| Space | What it is like | Layout that fits |
|---|---|---|
| Corner of the reception | Shared with a salon suite and dining table | L-shape, or one row with floor cushions |
| Roof terrace | Open, sunny, dusty | Two rows facing, outdoor-grade fabric, shade |
| Villa garden room | Separate room, large windows | U-shape on three walls |
The reception corner. In a Greater Cairo apartment the Arabic corner sits beside European furniture. Keep it to two walls and mark it with its own rug. Our guide to mixing a majlis with Western furniture shows how to make the two read as one room, and a majlis in a small apartment covers tight spaces.
The roof. Many buildings have a roof room or terrace used on summer nights. Seating here should be in outdoor-grade fabric under cover; see the balcony, patio and rooftop ideas.
The garden room. In the villa compounds of New Cairo and Sheikh Zayed there is space for a room devoted to guests. That is where a full U-shape belongs. The L-shape and U-shape page compares what each needs.
An old Cairo idea
None of this is imported. The historic houses of Islamic Cairo, Bayt al-Suhaymi among them, show the original reception rooms: the mandara on the ground floor for visitors and the grand qa’a, where guests sat on raised platforms at the sides of the hall. A made-to-measure set that follows the walls of a modern room is the same idea in foam and fabric. The page on Egyptian Arabic seating tells that story properly.
Dust, heat and the right cover
Cairo is hot, dry and dusty. Fabric should be chosen for that.
- Weave. A tight, flat weave gives dust nowhere to lodge. Sofhu’s woven and chenille series suit this; it describes chenille as shedding very little.
- Colour. Mid tones with a pattern hide dust between cleans. Burgundy, taupe, grey and mustard all work. Plain black and plain white are the hardest to keep.
- Velvet. Fine in a reception with the windows shut and the air conditioning on. Sofhu describes its velvet as durable and easy to clean.
- Washing. Every cover is zippered and, Sofhu states, machine washable at 30°C.
The fabric series are shown on Sofhu’s fabrics page.
The seats themselves are 32 DNS foam, meaning 32 kg per cubic metre, with no springs. Denser foam generally keeps its height longer than light foam. If you like a softer or firmer seat, or a thicker one, say so when you order.
Ordering a majlis sofa from Cairo
- Measure each wall the seating will touch, at floor level. Mark doors, windows, columns and the air-conditioning unit.
- Photograph the space from the entrance.
- Send both through the quote form or WhatsApp, with the layout from the table above.
- Ask how delivery and customs would be handled for your address.
Shipping is free. For Egypt the import and customs arrangements are confirmed by Sofhu per order, and duties or taxes may apply depending on the destination. Get that answer before you commit.
More on the country as a whole is on the Egypt page. If the set is for a summer flat on the coast, read the Alexandria page. Arabic readers can go to قعدة عربي.
