Berlin's Altbau flats, with their high ceilings and long walls, suit a full-length Arabic diwan, and their staircases suit furniture that arrives in pieces. Sofhu's Arabic floor sofa is both: modular cushions made in Türkiye to your wall measurements, filled with 32 kg/m³ foam, vacuum packed and shipped to Berlin free of charge. Sofhu also makes the raised, upholstered Arabic majlis.
- Good fit for
- Long Altbau walls, flats without a lift
- Construction
- Floor sofa: modular cushions, no frame to carry
- Foam
- 32 kg/m³ (32 DNS), no springs
- Layouts
- Single row, L-shape, U-shape
- Made by
- Sofhu, manufacturer in Türkiye
- Shipping to Berlin
- Free
On this page
Picture the classic Berlin room: a ceiling far overhead, tall windows, wooden floorboards and one long, uninterrupted wall. Western sofas float in a room like that. A diwan does not. Anyone looking for a majlis sofa in Berlin should consider its low cousin first, the Arabic floor sofa: run it along the full length of the wall and the room finally has a centre. Sofhu makes that seating to measure in Türkiye and ships it to Berlin free of charge, in pieces small enough for the stairs.
One note on names. Sofhu makes two products. The Arabic floor sofa, which this page mostly shows, is low: a seat mattress near the floor, loose back cushions, armrest blocks, an ottoman and floor pillows. The Arabic majlis is raised to sofa height and fully upholstered, with a solid base, tall fixed backs and arm bolsters, and suits a formal guest room. One majlis is included in the gallery for comparison.
The street that already speaks this language
Berlin has Germany’s best-known Arab and Turkish neighbourhoods. Sonnenallee in Neukölln is nicknamed the Arab street for its Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian shops, bakeries and shisha bars. Kreuzberg and Wedding have large Turkish communities, and the city’s Syrian community has grown to be one of the largest in the country.
For these families, seating along the wall is the normal way to receive guests. Levantine households call it jalsa arabiya, and the traditions behind it are described on the pages for Syrian and Levantine Arabic seating and the Jordanian and Palestinian madafa. Turkish families know the sedir, the cushioned seat under the windows, and its modern cousin the şark köşesi.
There is a page of its own for a majlis in Neukölln.
Long walls, high ceilings: planning for an Altbau
An Altbau room gives you something most modern flats cannot: a wall long enough for a real diwan.
The low set above shows the effect. The seating stays close to the floor and the wall above is left open. In a room with a high ceiling, that open wall is the point.
Things to check before you measure:
- Use the whole wall. A run that stops short looks like a sofa. One that goes corner to corner looks built in.
- The back cushions need support. An Arabic floor sofa is not freestanding and leans against the wall.
- Mind connecting doors. If the room opens into the next one, mark which doors you use and which way they swing.
- Check the floor. A floor-level set has no feet, and Sofhu describes it as kind to floors, which matters on old boards.
For the choice between one wall, a corner and three walls, see L-shape and U-shape majlis layouts.
A corner set like this one is the usual answer for a family living room: two runs, an ottoman for the tray, floor cushions for extra guests.
Why modular matters on a Berlin staircase
Many Berlin buildings have several flights of stairs and no lift, and anyone who has moved a sofa bed up them knows the problem. A floor sofa avoids it. There is no frame. The set is made of separate seat mattresses, backrests and armrests, each one vacuum packed for shipping.
The same modularity helps when you move. The pieces lift out, travel flat and can be rearranged for the next room.
Foam, fabric and care
The cushions are filled with 32 DNS foam, meaning a density of 32 kg/m³, and contain no springs. Denser foam generally keeps its height and support longer than light foam. Firmness is a separate choice, so ask for softer or firmer when you order.
Fabric is where the character comes from. Kilim-pattern weaves, like the burgundy set at the top of this page, read as Anatolian and Levantine. Medallion chenille, like the dark green set above, leans Arabic. Plain velvet is the formal choice. All covers are zippered and removable, and Sofhu states they wash at 30°C.
Delivery to Berlin
Sofhu is the manufacturer and ships free worldwide. Nothing is stocked in Berlin; each set is made for one room and sent to that address. Because it comes from Türkiye, duty or tax may apply depending on the destination, and Sofhu can tell you more before you order.
For Germany as a whole, see the existing page on the Arabic sofa in Germany. German speakers can read about the orientalische Sitzecke nach Maß. If carved wood is more your taste than floor cushions, look at the Turkish majlis by Sofhu. There are also city pages for a majlis sofa in Cologne and a majlis sofa in Essen.
Get your quote
Measure the wall, photograph the room from the door and send both through get a quote by measurement or WhatsApp.
