The Versatile Sandfree Turkish Towel

A textile with a long history.

Turkish sandfree towels, also called the peshtamel, have a long and interesting history. They’ve been around for centuries and have been used in various ways. This textile is tightly woven from thick, absorbent cotton, making them incredibly durable, resistant to sand and other particles, and perfect for many outdoor activities.

The Turkish peshtamel was a traditional bedding item for many centuries. In the past, people often placed them between two pieces of furniture to provide extra cushioning and warmth. The thick cotton weave was warm and perfect for absorbing sweat and other body liquids during sleep. The peshtamel was quite a valuable item for those who had to sleep on the ground or in rough conditions.

Today’s versatile sandfree towels.

In recent years, peshtamels have become popular for their many uses at the beach, especially when beautiful color stripes and color blocks are woven into the fabric. The tight weave repels sand, which makes it the perfect towel for beachgoers. The sandfree towel also makes an ideal picnic blanket, beach blanket, or, when tied around the neck or waist, a lovely bathing suit cover-up. The highly absorbent cotton material rivals the best beach towels when you want to dry off quickly after a cold swim. For anyone into beach yoga, this towel is a stylish yoga mat that keeps you free from sticky sand after child’s pose!

Sandfree Turkish towels are also great winter textiles when used as a throw blanket on the sofa or warm stylish scarf wrapped around the shoulders and coat collar. Keep a few in the car for long rides or to have on hand for bundling up after sleigh-riding or skiing.

Long popular with travelers, sand-free towels are light and easy to roll up and store. Stowing one in a carry-on ensures that one will never be too chilly on a long flight, as it doubles as a convenient throw.

Festival fans are well-aware of the versatility of their beloved sandfree towels. Festivals are long events (sometimes days) that combine activities like camping, picnics, lugging gear, sometimes swimming, campfires, and lounging around, with dancing (and often sweating!). All of the great benefits described above make this the preferred textile of the festival crowd!