Turkish Cotton Towels

The Turkish cotton towel—known traditionally as the "peshtemal"—has roots stretching back to the legendary hammams of the Ottoman Empire. For over 600 years, these flat-woven cotton cloths were essential to Turkish bathing culture, used to wrap the body after emerging from the steam-filled marble chambers of public bathhouses. The peshtemal needed to be lightweight enough to carry, absorbent enough to dry wet skin, and thin enough to dry quickly in the humid hammam environment. Master weavers in Anatolia spent generations perfecting these qualities.

The city of Denizli, nestled in Turkey's textile heartland, became the epicenter of peshtemal production. Here, weaving families developed closely guarded techniques for creating towels that were simultaneously strong and soft, absorbent yet quick-drying. These methods, passed from parent to child across centuries, remain largely unchanged today. The hand-loomed traditions, the selection of premium long-staple cotton, the specific weave patterns—all reflect accumulated wisdom that industrial manufacturing cannot replicate.

At Cotton & Steam, we source our Turkish cotton towels directly from family-owned workshops in the Denizli region, where fourth and fifth-generation artisans continue these time-honored practices. Every towel is woven from OEKO-TEX certified cotton, free from harmful chemicals and synthetic additives. The hand-finished fringes, the precisely calibrated weight, the careful quality inspection—each detail honors six centuries of expertise while meeting modern expectations for sustainability and ethical production.