Qibla · Victoria
Qibla direction in Melbourne
To face the Kaaba in Melbourne, turn to 278.8° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (8.8° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 12,741 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Melbourne should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Melbourne as a needle at 278.8°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 279°. 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 Melbourne
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 8.8° towards north: the result is the bearing of 278.8°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 9° 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 Melbourne, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Melbourne 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 Melbourne to Mecca points to 300.9° (north-west), a full 22.0° away from the true Qibla of 278.8° (west). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 98 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Melbourne first heads west, and that is the direction to face.
The value of 278.8° is the direction in which the shortest route from 37.8140° S, 144.9633° 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 Melbourne to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 12,741 km from Melbourne as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 12,941 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 15 h 29 min, although most pilgrims from Melbourne connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Melbourne 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 Melbourne rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Melbourne
On 204 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Melbourne 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 16:18 local time.
On 129 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 08:35.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | 16:18 | 08:35 |
| 15 January 2027 | 16:37 | 08:28 |
| 1 February 2027 | 17:06 | 08:08 |
| 15 February 2027 | 17:32 | 07:44 |
| 1 March 2027 | 17:57 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 18:21 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 18:50 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | — | — |
| 1 May 2027 | — | — |
| 15 May 2027 | — | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | — | — |
| 1 August 2027 | — | — |
| 15 August 2027 | — | — |
| 1 September 2027 | — | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 17:34 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 16:57 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 17:26 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 16:52 | 07:21 |
| 15 November 2027 | 16:29 | 07:46 |
| 1 December 2027 | 16:13 | 08:11 |
| 15 December 2027 | 16:08 | 08:28 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Melbourne (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 Melbourne points straight to Mecca.
Melbourne compared with other cities
Compared with Canberra, 466 km away, the Qibla in Melbourne is turned 1.0° further clockwise (278.8° against 277.8°), and Mecca is 328 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Geelong (65 km), prays towards 279.0°, a difference of 0.2°.
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 Melbourne
Qibla in Melbourne: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Melbourne?
It is 278.8° from true north, which is west: 8.8° north of west.
How far is Melbourne from Mecca?
12,741 km in a straight line over the globe, and 12,941 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Melbourne?
On 204 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 Melbourne not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 300.9°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Melbourne at 278.8°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 278.8° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.