About Us
Attar Bazaar was established in 1981 in Santa Fe, New Mexico by Iman and Hakim Chishti. We had been introduced to oil-based, non-alcoholic attar perfumes while living in the Near East and India for extended periods. We wanted to share the colorful experiences of the magical lands we had visited. We wanted to show just a little bit of the sights, smells and tastes of India and its surrounding areas after we got back home to the United States.
So, with this in our hearts, we originated and developed the market for these Eastern Attars by opening a shop on San Francisco Street in Santa Fe, where thousands of customers first encountered what are now famous names in the world of fragrances---Egyptian Musk, Arabian Wild Rose, Tunisian Amber, Tunisian Frankincense---and some 400 other scents from the world over.
During that time in Santa Fe we spent two years on market research, evaluating over 2,000 different oils from all over the world, and arrived at 50 or so top-selling oils. Oils from India and the middle east are largely regarded as the best fragrance and essential oils in the world and much of our oils come from these regions for this reason, though we also extend our search across the world. We still personally search the world for new scents and continue to refine our collection of oils so that we may bring our customers the best the world has to offer.
We believe that scents have the power to change our moods for the better and turn a bad day into a good one. Scents can excite us, relax us, intrigue us, and even remind us of wonderful memories from the past. We also know from experience that not all oils are created equal and believe that quality matters. We aim to continue sharing the magic of our colorful experiences and continue to be the leading source of top-grade fragrance and essential oils. How great the world would be if we all could be in a good mood!