Qibla · Ghardaia Province
Qibla direction in Ghardaïa
To face the Kaaba in Ghardaïa, turn to 99.9° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (9.9° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,767 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Ghardaïa should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Ghardaïa as a needle at 99.9°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 100°. 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 Ghardaïa
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 9.9° towards south: the result is the bearing of 99.9°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 10° 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 Ghardaïa, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Ghardaïa 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 Ghardaïa to Mecca points to 109.0° (east), 9.1° away from the correct 99.9°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 13 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 99.9° is the direction in which the shortest route from 32.4909° N, 3.6735° 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 Ghardaïa to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 3,767 km from Ghardaïa as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,606 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 4 h 56 min, although most pilgrims from Ghardaïa connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Ghardaïa 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 Ghardaïa rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Ghardaïa
On 221 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Ghardaïa while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 15 March 2027 it happens at 07:53 local time.
On 131 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 May (31 days), for instance on 1 May 2027 at 18:19.
| 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 | — | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 07:53 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 08:28 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 08:57 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 09:29 | 18:19 |
| 15 May 2027 | 09:56 | 17:50 |
| 1 June 2027 | 10:24 | 17:26 |
| 15 June 2027 | 10:38 | 17:17 |
| 1 July 2027 | 10:39 | 17:23 |
| 15 July 2027 | 10:28 | 17:39 |
| 1 August 2027 | 10:00 | 18:08 |
| 15 August 2027 | 09:30 | 18:35 |
| 1 September 2027 | 08:48 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 08:11 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 07:28 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | — | — |
| 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 Ghardaïa: at 10:18 and 10:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Ghardaïa compared with other cities
Compared with Algiers, 475 km away, the Qibla in Ghardaïa is turned 5.5° further anticlockwise (99.9° against 105.4°), and Mecca is 156 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Laghouat (164 km), prays towards 101.1°, a difference of 1.3°.
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 Ghardaïa
Qibla in Ghardaïa: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Ghardaïa?
It is 99.9° from true north, which is east: 9.9° south of east.
How far is Ghardaïa from Mecca?
3,767 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,606 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Ghardaïa?
On 221 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 Ghardaïa not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 109.0°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Ghardaïa at 99.9°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 99.9° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.