What Are Hammam Towels For? Our Long List of Uses?

As the name suggests, a hammam towel is a proper towel for drying first and foremost. This is what they are designed for in the first place. See our article about the history of hammam towels for more information.

The next question might be what does “hammam” mean, specifically? The term “Hammam” used in combination with towel means a weaving method which involves the crossed intersections of warp and weft on the loom. The hammam cloth is typically flat-woven fabric. Due to their fluff-free nature, the fabric is also lightweight and compact.

So, a hammam towel is a lightweight, compact, fluff-free towel, ideal for travellers, backpackers, surfers, wild-swimmers, camping, music festivals, family holidays especially for beach and sailing holidays. In short, it is a gem for anyone out and about with a limited luggage space and restricted weight limit or for those who chose not to carry too much weight on their shoulders due to their health conditions.

Centuries of tradition

I should also share the fact that they are way more than a towel. It certainly has tons of character as it carries the centuries old tradition and still trending in our modern world for all age groups. In whatever way you put them in use, I am pretty sure it will look awesome and stylish in its own way.

Some uses for hammam towels

Hammam towels are immensely versatile. If you set your mind to find out new ways of utilising them in numerous other ways. I share my personal list where I use them first-hand for a bit of inspiration. Some may sound strange to you but believe me I find them fantastically practical and prolific.

Sofa cover to protect your sofa or bed from daily soiling and also to refresh the look of your sofa
Yoga mat, massage bed or babies’ nappy change liner. Hammam towels do marvellously with these kinds of jobs. They are compact and take far less space in the laundry so you can wash them as often as it is required without worrying about the energy consumption. 1 classic bath towel equals to 3 hammam towels and even 4 hammam towels if the hammam towel you are using is one of the lightest. Our Alysa, Chelsea and Elements cotton hammam towels are the lightest ones in Cotton and Olive’s hammam towel range.
Shawl to compliment your dress and also to give an extra layer of warmth especially when you have gone alfresco. These hammam towels are used to colour and enhance the theme at the summer weddings.
Doola baby sling and soft baby blanket
Makeshift iron board cover. This is one of my latest findings. I use one of my old hammam towel for this purpose. And I am extremely happy with the result and highly recommend it.
Spa wrap, sarong, modesty cover while you are out and about visiting the places of worship.
Head turban to protect yourself from heat or to cover your hair while you are in a holy place. They are pretty good to absorb the excess water off your hair after a bath. I recommend the hand towel size for this purpose rather the big bath sheet size.
Makeshift overhead tent to protect yourself from sun on the beach or at the campsite.
This one go to music festival people in particular. These hammam towels are extremely handy to take with you to shower rooms. You can cover your sleeping mattress with a hammam towel or lay in on the ground to sit on it for a moment of respite or wrap it up around you like a large shawl
Very useful to cover your pillow and bed for hygiene reasons if you are staying in a shared hostel accommodation. Having said that a hammam towel is perfect to be deployed as a privacy screen at the side of the bed at a hostel room.
I know some creative geniuses using a hammam towel as a curtain. I use them as a tablecloth. Their size 90 x 180 cm is a perfect fit for my table at the dinner area. I love them as a tablecloth with their patterns and tassels and all.