Nishane
Founded 2012
Niche perfume house founded in Istanbul in 2012 by Mert Güzel and Murat Katran. The name means mark or sign in Turkish. Nishane calls itself the first Istanbul based niche perfume brand, and its scents draw on Turkish culture, from shadow puppet theatre to the poetry of Rumi.
Hours and prices change, so check with the shop before you go.
Istanbul perfume built on Rumi and shadow puppets
Nishane was officially founded in Istanbul in 2012 by Mert Güzel and Murat Katran, who had met at a friend's birthday party in 2010, and the business was self-funded, BeautyMatter reported in 2025. Katran, a former steel export manager and actor, had discovered oud while travelling in the Gulf. The name means mark, sign or symbol, and the house calls itself the first Istanbul-based niche perfume brand.
Its scents are grouped into story-led collections drawn from the city's culture. Collection Rumi takes lines from the poet Mevlana Rumi, the Shadow Play Trilogy is based on the traditional Karagöz and Hacivat puppet theatre, Collection Imaginative follows The Little Prince, and the No Boundaries Collection carries a message against borders between people. Most scents come in 15, 50 and 100 ml.
In Istanbul, the Nishane Istanbul boutique is at Ahmet Fetgari Sokak No:51/A, postcode 34365; its boutique list also names Paris, Rome and London. Smell Hacivat first. It is named for a character of the shadow play, a chypre of pineapple and bergamot over woody notes.
- HacivatNamed for the shadow play character, a tribute to kindness and a love of art in pineapple, bergamot and dry woods.
- AniInspired by the Anatolian folk song Sari Gelin and named for the Ani ruins, a vanilla scent meant to erase borders between people.
- Hundred Silent WaysA modern nod to the most-loved perfumes in history, named for a Rumi line about speaking without words.
- Fan Your FlamesA night out sharing coconut shisha with friends, in coconut, rum, tobacco and tonka, titled after a line from Rumi.
Where to buy
- Nishane Istanbul boutique, Ahmet Fetgari Sokak No:51/A, Teşvikiye
In our city guides
- Nishane Istanbul boutique (Boutique, Istanbul)