What is Peshtemal?

Peshtemal is a traditional large cotton cloth used daily in Turkey. It is a stylishly patterned towel that has been used since the Ottoman period in the hammam (Turkish bath), the origin of modern saunas .

The city of Denizli in western Turkey, near the Aegean Sea and home to the World Heritage Site Pamukkale, is also famous as a producer of peshtemal. CottonHugg is run by a Turkish owner living in Japan and his Japanese partner who travel to the peshtemal city of Denizli, Turkey, and purchase all of their products from Denizli, then sell them in Japan under the CottonHugg brand.

A lightweight material suitable for saunas, which can be wrapped around the body, laid on sauna benches, or used to wipe a wet body.
They are quick-drying and have the same feel as Japanese tenugui (hand towels) and gauze towels. There are a variety of types available, from lightweight single-ply ones to soft double- or triple-ply gauze materials.
The pattern is finished by adjusting the thread colors on a loom, and the colors are reversed on the front and back, making it reversible.

When you go to a resort overseas, you will see many Western tourists using peshtemals.

On Instagram, there are about 150,000 posts with the hashtag #Turkishtowel, making it an essential item in daily life.