Turkish Towel (Peshtemal) Guide: Names, Uses, Wrapping and Care

A Turkish towel, or peshtemal, is a thin, flat-woven towel that began as the wrap worn in a Turkish hammam. It is lighter and quicker to dry than a terry towel, folds small, and works as a bath towel, beach towel, sarong or throw. Wash it before first use, leave out the fabric softener, and it will get softer and more absorbent over its first few washes.

In the UK the same cloth is usually sold as a hammam towel, in France as a fouta and in Germany as a Hamamtuch. We have made and exported hammam products in İzmir since 2006.

What is a peshtemal?

Peştemal (in Turkish also spelled peştamal; in English peshtemal, peshtamal or pestemal) is the traditional cloth of the Turkish bath. It is woven flat, usually in stripes or checks, and finished with fringed or hemmed ends. In the Ottoman hammam it was part of the basic bathing kit, alongside the bathing bowl, the wooden bath clogs and the soap.

The word is generally traced back to Persian. Peshtemals have long been woven in many parts of Turkey, from Buldan in Denizli to Bursa and Gaziantep, each with its own local designs. What they all share is the flat weave: tightly interlaced yarns with no loops.

Turkish towel, hammam towel or fouta: one towel, many names

Each market has its own name, and a few can mislead shoppers abroad.

So are a fouta and a peshtemal the same thing? In everyday use, very nearly: both are flat-woven, usually striped towels for bathing and the beach, and shops use the words interchangeably. The difference is mainly language and region, so judge a towel by its fibre, weave and size rather than the name on the label.

One more trap for international shoppers: in India, "turkey towel" usually means an ordinary terry towel. Check the photos and the fibre composition before you buy.

Turkish towel vs regular towel: thin, but does it dry you?

A regular bath towel is terry: small loops of yarn standing up from a base fabric. The loops hold a lot of water and feel plush, but make the towel heavy, bulky and slow to dry. A peshtemal has no pile: one tight layer of cloth takes up the water and then dries quickly.

Are Turkish towels absorbent? Yes: cotton is naturally absorbent, and a good peshtemal will dry you after a shower. A brand-new one absorbs better once it has been washed a few times, and because the cloth is thin it feels damp sooner than terry. Pat rather than rub, or use the extra length to wrap up for a minute.

Why are Turkish towels so thin? Thinness is the design, not a shortcut: a single flat layer is what lets the towel dry fast and fold small.

Are they worth it? If you want the sink-in feel of a thick bath sheet every morning, keep your terry towels. A peshtemal earns its place where weight, space and drying time matter: the beach bag, the gym locker, the suitcase, a humid bathroom. Many households use both, and hotels weighing the same choice can read our peshtemal vs terry guide for hotels.

What is a Turkish towel used for?

One peshtemal can do many jobs:

• Hammam and sauna wrap: the original use, for example during a Turkish hammam ritual at home.
• After a scrub: wrap up to stay warm while you rest (see how to use a kese mitt for the scrub itself).
• Bath towel: dries between showers, which helps in small or humid bathrooms.
• Beach and pool: it lies flat, and sand tends to shake off.
• Travel and gym: it folds small enough for a carry-on or a gym bag.
• Hair wrap: folded lengthwise, lighter than a terry turban.
• Sarong or cover-up: tie it over swimwear (see the knots below).
• Scarf or light shawl: handy on cool evenings and chilly flights.
• Picnic blanket or sofa throw: the stripes and fringes look good on display.

How to wrap and tie a Turkish towel

Wrapped lengthwise, a full-size peshtemal goes around most adults with room to spare, and that overlap holds the tuck.

Hammam wrap (under the arms)

1. Hold the towel lengthwise behind your back at armpit height, one end in each hand.
2. Bring the right side across your front and tuck it under your left arm.
3. Wrap the left side over it and pull it snug.
4. Tuck the last corner firmly into the top edge at the side of your chest.
5. For extra hold, roll the top edge down once to lock the tuck.

Waist wrap (the traditional men's hammam style)

1. Hold the towel lengthwise behind you at hip height.
2. Wrap one side across the front, then the other side over it.
3. Tuck the end into the waistband at your hip.
4. Roll the waistband down once or twice so it stays put when you lie on the heated marble platform.

Sarong knot (beach and pool)

1. Wrap the towel lengthwise around you under the arms so both ends meet at the front.
2. Tie the two top corners together in a double knot at the centre of your chest.
3. For a skirt instead, wrap it around your hips and knot it at the side.
4. Tuck the loose corners under the knot for a neater finish.

Peshtemal sizes, weaves and materials

Full-size peshtemals generally measure about 90–100 cm wide and 170–190 cm long (roughly 35–39 × 67–75 inches): long enough to wrap an adult, wide enough to reach from chest to knee.

Three examples from our own range show how much fibre and weight can vary:

• Classic flat-woven cotton peshtemal: 100% cotton, 100 × 175 cm (about 39 × 69 in), about 360 g (12.7 oz).
• Pera bamboo-blend peshtemal: 80% bamboo and 20% cotton, 90 × 170 cm (about 35 × 67 in), about 430 g (15.2 oz).
• Handwoven Triple peshtemal: 70% bamboo and 30% viscose, 90 × 190 cm (about 35 × 75 in).

Weight reflects the fibre and how densely the cloth is woven, not its quality. A heavier peshtemal generally holds more water; a lighter one dries and packs faster.

Materials. Cotton is the traditional fibre: absorbent, breathable and softer after the first washes. A share of polyester adds strength and helps the cloth dry faster, while the cotton does most of the absorbing. Bamboo blends feel smooth and cool and drape fluidly; most bamboo towel yarn is a regenerated cellulose fibre made through the viscose process, which is why you will also see "bamboo viscose" on labels.

Weaves. Plain flat weave is the simplest and usually the lightest. Jacquard weaves the pattern into the cloth rather than printing it, and honeycomb (waffle) weave has a textured surface that feels thicker. Small irregularities in handwoven pieces are part of the craft, not a defect. Compare patterns and compositions in our peshtemal towel collection or, if you would rather wear the cloth, see the peshtemal bathrobes.

How to wash a Turkish towel

1. Wash it before first use. New woven cotton can carry sizing and finishing from the loom that make it feel crisp and resist water, and the first washes remove them. Some people also soak a new towel in cold water beforehand; this is optional.
2. Wash cold or cool with similar colours. On European machines that means the cold or 30 °C programme; never go above the temperature on the care label. Use a gentle cycle and mild detergent, and wash bright or dark stripes separately the first few times in case the dye runs.
3. Go easy on detergent. Excess detergent can stay in the fibres and leave the cloth stiff. Don't overload the drum, so the towel rinses properly.
4. Skip fabric softener (fabric conditioner in the UK) and dryer sheets. They coat the fibres, which can make a towel less absorbent over time. Laundry brands disagree on how much this matters, but for a towel whose job is absorbing, we recommend leaving them out. If hard water makes towels harsh, an occasional splash of white vinegar in the rinse is a popular alternative; check your machine's manual first.
5. No bleach. It weakens the fibres and can strip colour from the stripes.
6. Dry low or on the line. Tumble dry on low heat if the label allows, or hang the towel in the shade. Cotton can shrink a little with high heat.
7. Look after the fringes. Don't pull loose threads; re-twist or knot any fringe that comes undone, and use a mesh laundry bag if long fringes tangle.
8. After the beach or pool, rinse and dry fully. Rinse out salt water and chlorine soon after use, and let the towel dry completely before you fold or pack it; a damp towel left in a bag is a common cause of a musty smell.

Bamboo and bamboo–viscose blends need gentler handling than cotton. Choose a delicate cycle, avoid wringing them hard while wet, and dry them exactly as their label shows.

Reading the care label. Labels in Europe and many other markets use the international ISO 3758 symbols: washtub for washing (the number inside is the maximum °C), triangle for bleaching, square for drying, iron for ironing and circle for professional cleaning. US labels often show water temperature with dots instead: more dots, warmer water. In the tumble-dryer symbol, one dot means low heat and a cross means do not tumble dry.

Stiff, smelly or not absorbent? Quick fixes

How to choose a Turkish towel

Start with where you will use it most. For the bath and the hammam, a cotton flat weave is the easy all-rounder. For the beach, or if you are tall, choose a 190 cm length; for travel and the gym, a lighter cloth packs smaller; and for a smooth, fluid drape, try a bamboo blend.

The quickest way to judge weight, softness and size is to hold one. Our online sample shop sells single peshtemal towels with no account needed: you pay by Visa or Mastercard, shipping is added at checkout, and orders are shipped within 1–3 business days after payment (any import duties and taxes are paid by the recipient).

Buying for a shop, spa or hotel? Request a wholesale quote and ask about logo labels and packaging through custom production; the price of your samples is deducted from your first wholesale order.