A khalwa (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.12
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 Druze prayer houses are also known as khalwas, Khalwat al-Bayada being the most prominent one.4
References
References
- "Khalwa". Encyclopedia of Islam (2 ed.). Brill.
- Burgoyne, Michael Hamilton (2012). "The Development of al-Haram ai-Sharif during Ottoman Rule" (PDF). Proceedings of the International Congress on al-Quds during the Ottoman Era, Damascus, 22-25 June 2009. Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-05-25.
- Alnaim, M. M. (2023). "The Architecture of Mosque Integration of Decoration, Functionality, and Spirituality: An Overview of Najd Region Mosque Architecture". Journal of Engineering Research. doi:10.36909/jer.ICMA.20217 (inactive 12 July 2025). ISSN 2307-1877.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link) - Samy S. Swayd (2009). The A to Z of the Druzes. Rowman & Littlefield. p. xxxix. ISBN 978-0-8108-6836-6.