Sofhu makes Arabic majlis sets to measure in Türkiye and ships them free to any address in England. There is no shop to visit: you send the wall lengths of your room, choose a fabric and a single-row, L-shape or U-shape layout, and the set is built for that room with 32 kg/m³ high-density foam and zippered, washable covers.
- Maker
- Sofhu, manufacturer, made in Türkiye
- How it is sized
- From the wall measurements you send
- Layouts
- Single row, L-shape or U-shape
- Filling
- 32 kg/m³ (32 DNS) high-density foam, no springs
- Covers
- Zippered and removable, washable at 30°C
- Shipping
- Free worldwide, to the door in England
- Local shop
- None. Every set is built to order
On this page
Can you buy an Arabic majlis in England without flying one home in pieces from a family visit abroad? Yes. Sofhu builds each set in Türkiye to the wall measurements you send and ships it free to your door, anywhere from Cornwall to Northumberland. This page covers what English houses allow, which styles families here ask for, and how delivery works. For the United Kingdom as a whole, start with the Arabic sofa in the United Kingdom page.
Who sits on an Arabic majlis in England
Most of the UK’s Arab, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Somali and Turkish communities live in England, spread across London, the West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and a handful of port and mill towns. Each brings its own word for the same idea: seating along the walls, low to the ground, with room for everyone who turns up.
The occasions are the ones you already know. Eid visits that run all day. Iftar with the neighbours. A wedding week with relatives sleeping over. Condolences, when the house must hold everyone at once. A three-piece suite does none of this well. Wall seating does all of it.
Sofhu makes that seating as two separate products. An Arabic majlis is raised to sofa height: upholstered units with a solid base, tall fixed backs and arm bolsters. An Arabic floor sofa is low: a seat mattress at floor level with loose back cushions, armrest blocks and usually a matching ottoman. Both are made to measure, and this page shows both.
What terraces, semis and flats allow
English rooms are smaller than the villa rooms most majlis photos show. That is not a problem for a set cut to measure, but it does decide the layout.
| Home | Usual room | Layout that tends to fit |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced house | Separate front room with a chimney breast | U-shape using the alcoves, or an L-shape |
| Semi-detached | Front room, or a through lounge | U-shape at the front, single row at the back |
| Flat | One living room shared with a dining table | L-shape in a corner, or a single row |
| Loft or garage conversion | Long, sometimes with a sloped ceiling | Single row or facing rows along the full-height walls |
Neither product is meant to stand free in the room. Both line the walls, so the walls decide everything. Measure at skirting-board level, not at chest height, and note doors, radiators and sockets. The guide on how to measure a room for a majlis walks through it, and the hub on L-shape and U-shape majlis layouts shows how corners are joined.
Majlis sofa styles families in England ask for
Four styles cover most of what families here look for.
- Yemeni-style sets. Full-room seating with tall backs and an armrest between places, the look many people mean by “Yemeni majlis”. The navy star set in the gallery is a floor sofa in one of Sofhu’s own star designs. Background is on the Yemeni diwan and mafraj page.
- Gulf-style majlis. Raised, upholstered units in velvet or chenille with striped or damask panels, often in beige, grey or navy, like the black and cream set at the top of this page. See the Arabic jalsa hub.
- Toshak-style floor mattresses. Familiar to Afghan and many South Asian families. The post on what a toshak is explains the parts.
- Kilim-pattern floor sofas. A warmer, more casual low set, like the red one below, that sits easily beside a television and a bookcase.
You do not have to pick the tradition you grew up with. Plenty of households choose a pattern from one and a colour from another.
How each set is made
Every order starts as a cutting list drawn from your measurements. Fabric is cut on long tables, sewn into zippered covers and filled with 32 kg/m³ high-density foam.
Two points matter for a set that will be used daily. First, density is the amount of material in the foam, not how hard it feels, and denser foam generally keeps its height and support longer. You can ask for a softer or firmer seat. Second, the cushions contain no springs, so there is nothing to creak or poke through.
Fabric for a mild, damp climate
England is rarely very hot or very cold, but it is damp for half the year and most houses are heated for months. Velvet and chenille feel warm to sit on and suit a guest room used on winter evenings. Linen breathes better and suits a conservatory or a sunny back room. Sofhu’s fabrics page lists the series by type.
Whatever you choose, the covers come off. Sofhu states they can be machine washed at 30°C. In a house with children and a steady flow of tea, that matters more than the pattern.
Delivery to England and import since Brexit
Sofhu ships free worldwide, England included. A finished set is vacuum packed, which shrinks the cushions for transport; they recover their shape once the bags are opened. Open them by hand, not with a blade.
Since the UK left the EU, goods arriving in Great Britain are cleared under UK rules. Shipping is free, but import VAT or duty may apply depending on the shipment. Ask Sofhu how your order will be handled before you confirm. The post on importing a majlis to the UK sets out what the official guidance says.
City guides for England
Housing and communities differ from city to city, so the larger ones have their own pages. London is the largest market and has the most varied housing. Birmingham looks at the terraced front room and the city’s Yemeni community. Manchester, Bradford, Leicester, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Bristol and Luton each have a guide as well.
Wherever you live, the next step is the same. Send your wall measurements, a few photos and a fabric preference, then get a quote by measurement or message Sofhu on WhatsApp.
