Long before perfume came in glass bottles, it came in oil — and in India, the heart of that craft is Kannauj, a city in Uttar Pradesh often called the perfume capital of India.
The art of deg-bhapka distillation
Kannauj's perfumers use a centuries-old method called deg-bhapka: flowers, woods and resins are slowly steam-distilled in copper vessels over a wood fire, and the aromatic vapour is captured in sandalwood oil. The result is a deep, layered attar you simply can't rush.
Why it matters
Mass-market fragrance leans on synthetics. A true Kannauj attar uses real materials — rose, oud, saffron, ambergris — aged until they reach harmony. That's why our Noor (rose & saffron) and Anbar (ambergris & sandalwood) smell alive.
Wearing a piece of history
When you wear a Qiwaya attar, you're wearing a tradition that has survived 400+ years. Discover it in our attars & ittars collection.