Nishane: Turkish Niche Perfumes from Istanbul

Nishane is an artistic perfume house founded in Istanbul in 2012 by Mert Güzel and Murat Katran. The first Turkish niche house to establish itself on international markets, it builds each fragrance as an olfactory narrative weaving together Ottoman cultural heritage, Persian poetry and a contemporary sensibility, rendered exclusively in extrait de parfum.

History and philosophy

Mert Güzel and Murat Katran met in Istanbul in 2010 and officially founded Nishane in September 2012. The two co-founders bring complementary backgrounds: Güzel trained in publishing and luxury hotel management, while Katran built his career in international trade alongside a lifelong passion for the performing arts. The brand name itself — Nishane, meaning "sign" or "mark" in Turkish — encapsulates the ambition to leave a lasting impression on the world of perfumery.

Nishane's vision is rooted in Istanbul's geographical and historical position as a city on the boundary between Asia and Europe, a crossroads of civilisations and millennia-old trade routes. Every collection is built around a precise narrative core: from the mystical poetry of Rumi to the Turkish shadow-puppet theatre tradition, from Anatolian mythology to universal concepts such as time, place and memory. Perfumery here is not an accessory but a language, and each extrait is conceived as a text to be read on the skin.

The style

Nishane works exclusively in extrait de parfum concentration, a choice that defines both the olfactory density and the longevity of its compositions. The raw materials range from the warm, resinous ingredients of the Oriental tradition — oud, amber, tobacco, deep musks — to the more aquatic and floral notes characteristic of the Mediterranean. Contributing perfumers include Cécile Zarokian, Anne Flipo, Jorge Lee and Chris Maurice, who translate the founders' narrative concepts into coherent and recognisable olfactory structures.

• Rumi Collection — a series inspired by the poetry of the Persian mystic Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī; includes titles such as Fan Your Flames and Hundred Silent Ways, built on warm, gourmand and opulent floral accords.
• White florals — tuberose, jasmine and fleshy flowers rendered with generosity, as in Tuberóza, which explores the floral note with an almost animalic intensity.
• Oriental and spiced fragrances — accords of ginger, cardamom, resins and woods over ambered bases, represented by Ani with its citrus opening over a fond of vanilla and benzoin.
• Fresh aromatic profiles — Hacivat, one of the house's most recognisable titles, offers a fruity-woody accord of pineapple, grapefruit and cedar over a base of musks.
• Unisex format — almost the entire range is classified as unisex, in keeping with Nishane's intercultural reading of perfumery.

The best-known fragrances

Nishane has built its international reputation on a focused nucleus of fragrances that appear consistently in the niche community's most-loved lists, all available in extrait de parfum in 15, 50 and 100 ml.

• Hacivat — a fruity-woody accord of pineapple, grapefruit and cedar; among the house's most celebrated for its projection and longevity.
• Fan Your Flames — a boozy, gourmand, woody composition of toasted coconut, tobacco, rum and oakmoss; inspired by a quotation from Rumi.
• Hundred Silent Ways — a floral-gourmand with notes of tuberose, peach, jasmine and vanilla; one of the house's five global bestsellers.
• Ani — an Oriental spiced fragrance with an opening of ginger, pink pepper and bergamot over a base of vanilla and benzoin; signed by Cécile Zarokian.
• Tuberóza — a study in tuberose alongside jasmine, musks and creamy accords; a rich expression of the brand's floral calling.