Mahala

A mahalla (Arabic: مَحَلَّة, romanized: maḥalla, also transliterated as mahallah, etc.) is an Arabic word that comes from the root ḥ-l-l (ح ل ل), and originally denoted a place where one makes a halt. It has been variously translated as district, quarter, ward, or neighborhood in many parts of the Arab world, the Balkans, West and Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and nearby nations. In the Maghreb, it referred to a military formation or campaign for tax collection in the service of the sul...