Qibla · Béjaia Province
Qibla direction in Béjaïa
To face the Kaaba in Béjaïa, turn to 107.3° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (17.3° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,753 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Béjaïa should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Béjaïa as a needle at 107.3°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 107°. 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 Béjaïa
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 17.3° towards south: the result is the bearing of 107.3°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 17° 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 Béjaïa, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Béjaïa 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 Béjaïa to Mecca points to 116.9° (south-east), 9.6° away from the correct 107.3°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 14 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 107.3° is the direction in which the shortest route from 36.7559° N, 5.0843° 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 Béjaïa to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 3,753 km from Béjaïa as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,551 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 4 h 55 min, although most pilgrims from Béjaïa connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Béjaïa run 2 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Béjaïa rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Béjaïa
On 245 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Béjaïa 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 1 March 2027 it happens at 08:05 local time.
On 99 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 July (31 days), for instance on 15 May 2027 at 18:50.
| 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 | — | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 08:05 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 08:28 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 08:55 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 09:17 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 09:41 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 10:02 | 18:50 |
| 1 June 2027 | 10:22 | 18:32 |
| 15 June 2027 | 10:33 | 18:27 |
| 1 July 2027 | 10:35 | 18:32 |
| 15 July 2027 | 10:27 | 18:44 |
| 1 August 2027 | 10:07 | 19:06 |
| 15 August 2027 | 09:43 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 09:10 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 08:40 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 08:04 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 07:35 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | — | — |
| 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 Béjaïa: at 10:18 and 10:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Béjaïa compared with other cities
Compared with Algiers, 178 km away, the Qibla in Béjaïa is turned 1.9° further clockwise (107.3° against 105.4°), and Mecca is 170 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Jijel (61 km), prays towards 108.0°, a difference of 0.7°.
Across the 38 cities in Algeria on this site, the Qibla ranges from 94.7° in Béchar to 110.2° in Annaba, a spread of 15.5°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Algeria.
Qibla in cities near Béjaïa
- Jijel108.0° · 61 km
- Sétif106.8° · 69 km
- Bordj Bou Arreridj106.0° · 81 km
- El Eulma107.0° · 86 km
- Tizi Ouzou106.3° · 93 km
- M'Sila105.3° · 126 km
Qibla in Béjaïa: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Béjaïa?
It is 107.3° from true north, which is east: 17.3° south of east.
How far is Béjaïa from Mecca?
3,753 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,551 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Béjaïa?
On 245 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 Béjaïa not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 116.9°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Béjaïa at 107.3°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 107.3° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.