Qibla direction in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

How to face the Qibla in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 7.7° towards north: the result is the bearing of 277.7°. The direction is close to due west, which makes it easy to remember.

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 Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, 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

This is a place where maps mislead badly: a straight line on a flat map from Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia to Mecca points to 296.9° (north-west), a full 19.2° away from the true Qibla of 277.7° (west). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 74 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia first heads west, and that is the direction to face.

The value of 277.7° is the direction in which the shortest route from 32.9295° S, 151.7801° 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 Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 13,275 km from Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 13,443 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 16 h 07 min, although most pilgrims from Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia run 8 hours ahead of Mecca in winter and 7 hours ahead of Mecca in summer, because of daylight saving time. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

On 199 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in January (31 days); for example, on 1 January 2027 it happens at 15:22 local time.

On 133 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 January (31 days), for instance on 1 January 2027 at 08:38.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia (19:18 and 19:27 local time), so they cannot be used here. Instead, on 14 January 2027 at 08:29 and 29 November 2027 at 08:09 the sun is over the point opposite the Kaaba, and every vertical shadow in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia points straight to Mecca.

Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia compared with other cities

The Qibla here is practically the same as in Canberra (277.8°), and Mecca is 207 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Central Coast (67 km), prays towards 277.7°, a difference of 0.1°.

Across the 21 cities in Australia on this site, the Qibla ranges from 275.0° in Hobart to 295.5° in Mandurah, a spread of 20.5°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Australia.

Qibla in cities near Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia

• Central Coast277.7° · 67 km
• Sydney, New South Wales, Australia277.5° · 117 km
• Wollongong277.4° · 185 km
• Canberra277.8° · 358 km
• Gold Coast279.8° · 570 km
• Toowoomba280.6° · 597 km