Why do we love hammam towels?

Good ideas never go out of date

More than 600 years ago, when the Ottoman Empire flourished and the Turkish hammams served as social gathering places, the hammam towel , also called Peshtemal or Fouta, was used to cover the body. A hammam towel weighs little, has very good absorbency and dries quickly. Today, the hammam towel is used as a bath towel or beach and yoga towel, as a sarong, blanket, scarf, or tablecloth. It is easy to carry and keep lying around in the car, boat or in the pram. And it is beautiful to look at. As beautiful as 600 years ago.

So what is a hammam towel and why does everyone love them?
Hammam towels have become extremely popular in recent years due to their beautiful design and their useful and practical properties. If you search the hashtag #hamamhandduk or #hamamtowel, you will also be inspired by many wonderful travel accounts as they are easy to carry, but also some accounts with a focus on minimalism and sustainability (one product - several uses).

In addition to being beautiful to look at, the hammam towel is functional and practical. A hammam towel weighs half as much as a terry towel (we compare towels that measure 160x90 cm) and is therefore easier to carry around. When folded, it is as big as a normal-sized water bottle and takes up very little space in, for example, a gym or beach bag. Here at Joi Living , we mainly work with double-woven hammam towels , which means that they are slightly thicker than traditional hammam towels, which are very thin. Our hammam towels are approximately 160x90 cm and weigh around 300-400 grams. Most of them, such as Kilim , have beautiful so-called "eyelash edges" on the short sides, and one side has a lighter color scale than the other. Even the Lovely hammam towel has a lighter color scale on one side.

organic hammam towel

Shop Lovely hammam towel here .

What distinguishes a hammam towel?

Unlike a terry towel, a hammam towel has no loops. The hamam towel is plain woven and cotton with long fibers is used. A textile with long fibers is more airy and this in turn gives the hammam towel its two very practical properties - highly absorbent and quick drying.

Sustainable and ecological

For us, sustainability is extremely important and at all levels. From idea to finished product, we make sure to maintain a sustainable production line. Among other things, we work with carefully selected, small, family-owned weaving mills in the Aegean area, which is located in western Turkey. The area is known for its expertise in weaving techniques and the passion for the craft is passed down from generation to generation and has been for over 600 years.