Khalwa

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Khalwa (Arabic, also khalwat; lit., "solitude"; pronounced in Iran, "khalvat"; spelling in Turkish, helvet): in Sufism, a solitary retreat, traditionally for 40 days (see "chella"), during which a disciple does extensive spiritual exercises under the direction of a sufi master. ^[1]

A Sufi murid will enter khalwa under the direction of a shaykh for a given period, sometimes for as long as 40 days, emerging only to pray and, usually, to discuss dreams, visions and the like with the shaykh. Once a major element of Sufi practice, khalwa has become less frequent in recent years.

[edit] Other uses

A religious school is known as "a khalwa" in the Sudanese dialect of Arabic. This reflects the former dominance of Sufism in the Sudan.
The Khalwati order (Halveti) of Sufism derives its name from the term "khalwa".