Where does peshtemal come from?
Turkish towel peshtemal is a piece of Turkish and Ottoman culture which was originally designed to be used in hammam baths. It was also used to indicate from which region people are and resulted in many kinds with different styles andcolors in different areas of Turkey. However, regardless of the region where peshtemal comes from, it is always designed with stripes, and it is finished with hand-tied fringes.
However, before we move on to the final look of the product, let's find out how does the beginning of their creation process actually look like?
Turkish towels` adventure begins with the cotton planting in April. Cotton maturates in the warmth of summer months and is harvested in September. In Turkey cotton is collected and harvested by natural methods. Cotton is manually snatched and picked, then the yarn production process is continued by separating the fibers and other parts. The cotton, which has a natural and softer texture, is produced in the fertile soils in Aegean region of Turkey thanks to the natural factors of the region. It just so happens that Turkey is the perfect place with a warm climate and fertile soil for cotton growing. This is evidenced by the fact that currently Turkey is responsible for about 40% of the world's organic cotton, which makes it a tycoon on the world market!
What about linen?
Linen yarn, which is produced from qualified fibers, also has a noteworthy place in Turkish looming which is produced from the stem of the flax plant in central Anatolia. In Turkey, linen is planted in two different periods, summer and winter. Winter linen is sown in August-September, summer linen is sown in March-April. Linen, which has both natural and cultural forms, grows naturally in Turkey.
The reason why we have started our business
Turkish towels are traditionally produced over a century by ingenious artisans through onerous processes of collecting fine cotton and linen fibers, boiling, rolling, hand-weaving and tying the fringes. Unfortunately, there are few artisans who maintain this tradition today. This fact is also one of the main reasons why we have started our business. Our goal is to bring you these original, indigenous and traditional products made by local artisans in Anatolia and to keep this tradition alive. Our cotton-linen blended towels and robes are all authentically produced on a loom as hand woven by using weft and wrap threads. Since these threads are dyed with madder, they are naturel and healthy. We are working with family weavers and local artisans who have practiced their craft for generations.
We encourage you to familiarize yourself with our products at the link below:
Marta & Caglar Eren