A
zaouia or
zawiya (Arabic زاوية
zāwiyah "Assembly" or "Group"; also spelled
zawiyah, zawiyya, zaouiya, zaouïa, zwaya, etc.) is an
Islamic religious school or monastery. The term is
Maghrebi and West African, roughly corresponding to the Eastern term
Madrasa. A zawiya often contains a pool, and sometimes a fountain.