A Turkish towel is made from Turkish cotton, as suggested by its name. Turkish cotton is a kind of cotton that has extra-long fibers. It is very similar to Egyptian cotton, but there are some differences between the two. Particularly, Turkish cotton is less absorbent than Egyptian cotton, which makes it suitable for different applications.
The history of Turkish towels is a long and old one. They date back to the Roman Empire when they – or at least, their “ancestors” – were used in ancient bathhouses. The best Turkish cotton tends to be grown near the city of Denizli in Turkey. This city is, by the way, famous for its soft towels and robes.
And like Egyptian cotton, Turkish cotton is rather acclaimed around the world, though its popularity compared to Egyptian cotton may vary from area to area.
Uses of Turkish Towels
The advantages of Turkish towels – namely, their relatively low absorbency and quick drying – allow them to be used in a variety of applications. Overall, if you need your towel to stay dry for a longer time, you should go for a Turkish towel. Besides, its strength could be useful for you as well.
For some perspective, you may use a Turkish Towel as:
- A napping blanket when traveling on a train, plane, or in other situations.
- A picnic blanket.
- An improvised bag. You can tie a couple of knots to turn the towel into a durable bag.
- A scarf on chilly days.
- A sarong or beach cover-up.
- A hair towel. A Turkish Towel is going to stay light for a longer time.
Advantages of Turkish Towels
- Increased strength. There are fewer joins in Turkish cotton than in regular cotton, meaning that there are fewer weak points. As a result, Turkish cotton is much stronger compared to regular cotton.
- Smoother surface. This advantage is also due to the smaller number of joins in Turkish cotton. Compared to regular cotton, Turkish cotton is noticeably smoother. People with delicate skin, as well as those who like fabrics with a smooth feel will appreciate this feature of Turkish cotton.
- Become softer after being washed. What makes Turkish cotton even better is that it becomes softer and fluffier with subsequent washes. A Turkish cotton towel is pretty soft and smooth on its own, but it gets better as time passes. And since Turkish cotton towels are highly durable, you could make one pretty soft throughout its use.
- Light and thin. Turkish cotton towels are lighter and slightly less bulky than regular cotton towels, so they are better in terms of storage. However, both cotton towel types are pretty similar in terms of fluffiness!
- Not too absorbent. Turkish cotton towels are less absorbent than other kinds of cotton towels. This allows Turkish cotton towels to stay dry and fresh for a longer time. In addition, Turkish cotton dries quicker than regular cotton.
Disadvantages of Turkish Towels
The one disadvantage of Turkish Towels actually lies in their lower absorbency. To be more precise, this may be a downside based on the situation and your requirements.
When high absorbency is required, a Turkish Towel is going to be not as good as other types of towels. Namely, it would arguably be less effective as a bath towel due to its low water absorbency. But overall, Turkish Towels still have good enough absorbency to be used as regular towels.
