/ History of Peshtemal: From the Ottoman Empire to Today
The peshtemal is closely tied to the hammam, the Turkish bath. For centuries, bathers wrapped themselves in a light, flat-woven cloth to cover the body while moving between the warm rooms of the bath. The cloth had to be thin enough to dry quickly in humid air, strong enough for daily use and easy to wash.
A cloth of the hammam
In the Ottoman period the hammam was a social space as much as a place to wash, and the peshtemal was part of its etiquette. Many bathhouses provided peshtemals to their guests, and households kept their own. Weaving was a local craft, carried out on looms in towns and villages across Anatolia.
Woven in the Denizli region
The area around Denizli, in western Turkey, has long been known for cotton weaving. Towns such as Buldan built a reputation for light woven cloth, and the region remains one of the centres of Turkish towel and peshtemal production today.
From the Bath to the Beach and the Home
In recent decades the peshtemal has left the hammam. Its light weight and quick drying made it a natural beach and pool towel, and travellers found that it folds far smaller than a terry towel. Designers introduced new patterns, weaves and finishes, from diamond and honeycomb structures to jacquard designs and stone-washed finishes, while keeping the flat-woven character of the original cloth. Larger sizes became throws and picnic blankets, and the same fabrics were cut into bathrobes and beachwear.
The tradition today
Peshtemal House continues this tradition with a collection of peshtemals, towels, throws and beachwear. PH Tekstil, the manufacturer behind the brand, operates its own weaving production in Denizli with jacquard and dobby looms; peshtemals are kept in stock, and orders start at 100 pieces in total, mixable across all products, also under your own brand. Read more about what a peshtemal is, or browse the peshtemal collection.
What is Peshtemal? The Place of Peshtemal from the Past to the Future
PH
Types of Peshtemal Fabrics: Cotton, Bamboo, Linen and Recycled Cotton
PH
History of Peshtemal: From the Ottoman Empire to Today
PH
Different Usage Areas of Peshtemal
PH
The Essential Item of Summer: Practical and Stylish Solutions with Peshtemal
PH
What to Consider When Buying a Peshtemal
PH
