Essentially, a Turkish towel is a bath towel that has specific measurements: 35 x 43 inches. The towel is made of linen or cotton that’s uniquely woven for a luxurious feel and look. It’s not extremely clear when these weaving methods first came into play, but one cannot deny that these towels have now become famous across the globe, including the West.

Historically, Turkey is among the biggest global cotton producers and weavers. Even now, Turkey is among the top three cotton towel suppliers in the world. As far as the history of these towels go, most of the information gathered are less scientific and based on anecdotes. The legend says Turkish towels were born in Babadag, a small Turkish town, in the Southern Turkey mountains, several hundred years ago.

The narrative revolves around a craftsman who was into weaving rugs full-time, and who later thought of experimenting with the weaving technique. The majority of towels back then were woven flat. But, this craftsman believed he could enhance the style by incorporating loops in the towels, similar to how his rugs were loop-woven. He discovered this addition resulted in a more absorbent and softer towel compared to regular towels. And the finding gave birth to the now iconic towel.

In the beginning, even the best Turkish towels were hand-woven, which means only 4-5 towels were made a day. With time, the production techniques became more industrialized and caught speed, which even made exporting them to the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia quite feasible. Now, the majority of Turkish bath clothing are made by machines and they can now be found in different parts of the world.

During their initial years of being popular, Turkish bath clothing became key components of religious rituals. Probably the most renowned is using the towel during a bride’s ceremonial bath prior to her wedding, and also for other important functions later in her life. Hamams, which are modern Turkish baths, used uniquely made towels for the hips, head, and shoulders. These specific and separate designs alluded at the ceremonial significance the Turkish bath cloth was once known for in Turkish culture.

Not all towels that look like a Turkish bath cloth are Turkish towels. A Turkish towel should meet specific design criteria. First and foremost, it should be made out of cotton. Next, the weight of the fabric should be in compliance with the standard Turkish towel weight requirements. Several purists also importune that Turkish towels should be not be dyed and white. This is partially because white fabric has a sense of timelessness, besides being practical too – for instance, not giving in to bleaching and fading.