icularly interested in Sufism, and he increased the power of the conservative Islamic leaders, or ulama. Under the power of the ulama, all of the Sufi orders were suppressed in the Ottoman Empire. However, they were restored to favor during the reigns of Sulayman the Magnificent and his son Selim II, which lasted from 1520 to 1566. This was a great time for the growth and development of the Khalwati order. During the period of Sulayman and Selim II, many new tekkes (residences for Sufi activities) were built throughout the Empire, and "as new areas were conquered by the Ottoman armies, new extensions and branches of the Khalwatiyya appeared to keep pace." As a result of this expansion, the Khalwatiyya faith extended from its birthplace in Anatolia to points as far away as Egypt and Northern Africa.
The history of the Khalwati order is filled with stories of great leaders and disciples. After Umar al-Khalwati and Yahya al-Shirwani, the next great Khalwati shaykh was Muhammad Jamal al-Din al-Aqsara'i, more commo
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