Ciragan Cotton Linen Towel

The Ciragan is our best-selling peshtemal: a flat-woven Turkish towel in undyed cotton and linen, finished with hand-knotted fringe. Its stripe is tonal rather than printed, so it reads as texture — which is why the same towel works folded on a bathroom shelf, thrown over a sun lounger, or spread on the sand.

Why a peshtemal instead of a terry towel

• Dries in a fraction of the time. A flat weave holds far less water than looped terry, so it air-dries between uses instead of sitting damp.
• Packs down flat. Folds to roughly a quarter of the bulk of a terry bath sheet — it fits a carry-on, a beach bag, or a gym locker without taking the whole compartment.
• Gets better with washing. The linen content breaks in rather than wearing out; the weave opens and absorbency increases over the first several washes.
• Does more than one job. Bath sheet, beach blanket, picnic throw, sofa cover, hair wrap, or a shawl on a cool evening.

Choosing your size

• Hand 17'' x 30'' — bathroom rail, kitchen, or hair wrap.
• Bath/Beach 37'' x 73'' — the standard size. A full bath sheet for one, and long enough to cover a sun lounger.
• Oversized 63'' x 79'' — wide enough for two on the sand, or a bed runner and sofa throw at home.
• Bath & Hand Set — the two everyday sizes together, for a complete bathroom or as a gift.

Living with it

Wash once before first use to set the weave and release loose fibres. Skip fabric softener — it coats cotton and linen and works against absorbency, which is the whole point of a peshtemal. Shake the fringe out while damp and it dries straight; comb it with your fingers if it tangles in the wash.

Woven on traditional looms in Antioch, Turkey — a region weaving peshtemals for generations.