Qibla · Kunduz Province
Qibla direction in Kunduz
To face the Kaaba in Kunduz, turn to 246.8° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-west (23.2° south of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,275 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Kunduz should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Kunduz as a needle at 246.8°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 247°. A traditional magnetic compass also works, provided you allow for the local difference between magnetic and true north.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Kunduz
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 23.2° towards south: the result is the bearing of 246.8°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 23° off.
The scholars distinguish two cases: the one who sees the Kaaba aims at the building itself, while the one who cannot see it, as anywhere in Kunduz, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of a local mosque is a quick way to confirm the result. If you travel or move house, check the angle again, since it changes from place to place.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Kunduz to Mecca points to 238.8° (south-west), 8.0° away from the correct 246.8°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 9 km longer than the true shortest route. The Qibla follows the great circle, the shortest path on the curved Earth, which is why the bearing differs.
The value of 246.8° is the direction in which the shortest route from 36.7290° N, 68.8570° E sets off towards the Kaaba at 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E. Every accurate Qibla calculator, and the plans of well-oriented mosques, arrive at the same angle for this point.
Distance from Kunduz to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 3,275 km from Kunduz as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,096 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 4 h 21 min, although most pilgrims from Kunduz connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Kunduz run 1.5 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Kunduz rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Kunduz
On 272 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Kunduz while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in March (31 days); for example, on 15 February 2027 it happens at 16:43 local time.
On 60 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in June (30 days), for instance on 1 June 2027 at 05:14.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | — |
| 1 February 2027 | — | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 16:43 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 16:17 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 15:50 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 15:16 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 14:49 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 14:21 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 14:01 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 13:45 | 05:14 |
| 15 June 2027 | 13:40 | 05:24 |
| 1 July 2027 | 13:45 | 05:26 |
| 15 July 2027 | 13:56 | 05:20 |
| 1 August 2027 | 14:15 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 14:33 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 14:55 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 15:14 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 15:35 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 15:55 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 16:21 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | — | — |
| 1 December 2027 | — | — |
| 15 December 2027 | — | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Kunduz: at 13:48 and 13:57 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Kunduz compared with other cities
Compared with Kabul, 246 km away, the Qibla in Kunduz is turned 4.0° further anticlockwise (246.8° against 250.8°), and Mecca is 62 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Baghlan (68 km), prays towards 247.6°, a difference of 0.8°.
Across the 11 cities in Afghanistan on this site, the Qibla ranges from 242.5° in Herat to 252.5° in Kandahar, a spread of 10.0°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Afghanistan.
Qibla in cities near Kunduz
Qibla in Kunduz: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Kunduz?
It is 246.8° from true north, which is south-west: 23.2° south of west.
How far is Kunduz from Mecca?
3,275 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,096 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Kunduz?
On 272 days of 2027 the sun stands in the Qibla direction; the table on this page gives the exact time for the 1st and 15th of each month.
Why is the Qibla in Kunduz not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 238.8°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Kunduz at 246.8°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 246.8° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.