Qibla · Chittagong
Qibla direction in Comilla
To face the Kaaba in Comilla, turn to 278.1° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (8.1° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 5,255 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Comilla should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Comilla as a needle at 278.1°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 278°. 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 Comilla
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 8.1° towards north: the result is the bearing of 278.1°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 8° 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 Comilla, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Comilla 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 Comilla to Mecca points to 267.5° (west), 10.6° away from the correct 278.1°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 28 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 278.1° is the direction in which the shortest route from 23.4619° N, 91.1850° 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 Comilla to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 5,255 km from Comilla as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 5,210 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 6 h 41 min, although most pilgrims from Comilla connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Comilla run 3 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Comilla rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Comilla
On 140 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Comilla 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 April 2027 it happens at 17:46 local time.
On 206 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 15 March 2027 at 07:03.
| 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 | — | 07:03 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 07:57 |
| 15 April 2027 | 17:46 | 08:41 |
| 1 May 2027 | 16:48 | 09:33 |
| 15 May 2027 | 15:59 | 10:21 |
| 1 June 2027 | 15:06 | 11:17 |
| 15 June 2027 | 14:38 | 11:51 |
| 1 July 2027 | 14:47 | 11:49 |
| 15 July 2027 | 15:25 | 11:16 |
| 1 August 2027 | 16:21 | 10:21 |
| 15 August 2027 | 17:07 | 09:31 |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 08:29 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 07:37 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 06:38 |
| 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 Comilla: at 15:18 and 15:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Comilla compared with other cities
The Qibla here is practically the same as in Dhaka (277.7°), and Mecca is 82 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Brāhmanbāria (57 km), prays towards 277.6°, a difference of 0.5°.
Across the 44 cities in Bangladesh on this site, the Qibla ranges from 274.8° in Thakurgaon to 280.1° in Cox’s Bāzār, a spread of 5.4°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Bangladesh.
Qibla in cities near Comilla
- Brāhmanbāria277.6° · 57 km
- Chāndpur278.2° · 60 km
- Sonargaon277.8° · 62 km
- Maijdi278.6° · 67 km
- Bhairab Bāzār277.5° · 69 km
- Narsingdi277.6° · 70 km
Qibla in Comilla: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Comilla?
It is 278.1° from true north, which is west: 8.1° north of west.
How far is Comilla from Mecca?
5,255 km in a straight line over the globe, and 5,210 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Comilla?
On 140 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 Comilla not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 267.5°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Comilla at 278.1°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 278.1° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.