Akhalwa (also "bayt al-khalwa", literally "place of seclusion"),[1] is an Islamic solitary space or cell (zawiya) set aside as a place for retreat and spiritual exercise.[1][2]
A considerable number of small khalwa structures were built on the esplanade of Al-Aqsa from 956 onwards, many founded by local Ottoman dignitaries and echoing a similar vaulted form supporting one or two domed chambers.[2]
The underground prayer chambers in the traditional mosques of central Arabia (Najd) are also called khalwa,[3] while among the Druze, a prayer house is known as a Khalwat al-Bayada.[4]
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