The invention of the modern towel is commonly associated with the city of Bursa, Turkey, in the 17th century.

Early Turkish towels (called peshtemal or pestamal) were flat-woven, narrow cloths made of cotton or linen, used in Turkish baths.

The looping technique (pile loops) that gives terry towels their characteristic texture was invented in Turkey during the Ottoman era in the 17th century.

A towel’s absorbency depends heavily on the fabric’s weave, loop structure, and yarn quality. For instance, terry cloth towels (with numerous loops) are more absorbent.

Cotton is a common material for towels because its cellulose fibers are hygroscopic, they attract and hold water. According to a materials study, cotton fibers can absorb up to twenty-seven times their own weight in water.

Towels are among the oldest everyday textile items; some evidence suggests that linen cloths were used for drying in ancient Egypt and other early civilizations thousands of years ago.

The term tea towel (in British usage) originates from 18th-century Britain, where linen cloths were used to dry fine china and teapots.

In Japan, there is a tradition called kanpu masatsu (“dry towel friction”), where one rubs a dry towel along the body to stimulate circulation and warmth.

There is a worldwide celebration called Towel Day, held on May 25 each year in memory of author Douglas Adams, who famously wrote about the usefulness of a towel to hitchhikers in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Towels were once considered a symbol of affluence; in the Ottoman Empire, elaborate, embroidered towels were used by the upper class.

The modern terry cloth towel became affordable for many households only after the 19th century, with the expansion of the cotton trade and industrialization.

A towel’s border or embroidered stripe, often decorative, can also serve a practical purpose, reinforcing the edge to prevent fraying and improving durability.

Beach towels became widely popular only in the 20th century, despite towels themselves dating back centuries.