Qibla · Khulna Division
Qibla direction in Sātkhira
To face the Kaaba in Sātkhira, turn to 278.3° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (8.3° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 5,053 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Sātkhira should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Sātkhira as a needle at 278.3°. 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 Sātkhira
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 8.3° towards north: the result is the bearing of 278.3°. 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 Sātkhira, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Sātkhira 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 Sātkhira to Mecca points to 268.4° (west), 9.9° away from the correct 278.3°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 24 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 278.3° is the direction in which the shortest route from 22.7082° N, 89.0719° 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 Sātkhira to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 5,053 km from Sātkhira as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 5,017 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 6 h 27 min, although most pilgrims from Sātkhira connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Sātkhira 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 Sātkhira rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Sātkhira
On 140 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Sātkhira 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 17:55 local time.
On 187 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 07:15.
| 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 | — | 07:15 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 08:10 |
| 15 April 2027 | 17:55 | 08:56 |
| 1 May 2027 | 16:55 | 09:50 |
| 15 May 2027 | 16:03 | 10:41 |
| 1 June 2027 | 15:04 | 11:43 |
| 15 June 2027 | 12:24 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 12:21 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 15:24 | 11:40 |
| 1 August 2027 | 16:26 | 10:40 |
| 15 August 2027 | 17:15 | 09:48 |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 08:43 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 07:50 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 06:49 |
| 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 Sātkhira: at 15:18 and 15:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Sātkhira compared with other cities
Compared with Dhaka, 176 km away, the Qibla in Sātkhira is turned 0.6° further clockwise (278.3° against 277.7°), and Mecca is 120 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Khulna (52 km), prays towards 278.3°, the same bearing to the tenth of a degree.
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 Sātkhira
Qibla in Sātkhira: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Sātkhira?
It is 278.3° from true north, which is west: 8.3° north of west.
How far is Sātkhira from Mecca?
5,053 km in a straight line over the globe, and 5,017 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Sātkhira?
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 Sātkhira not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 268.4°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Sātkhira at 278.3°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 278.3° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.