Qibla · Rajshahi Division
Qibla direction in Pābna
To face the Kaaba in Pābna, turn to 277.0° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (7.0° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 5,051 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Pābna should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Pābna as a needle at 277.0°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 277°. 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 Pābna
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 7.0° towards north: the result is the bearing of 277.0°. 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 Pābna, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Pābna 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 Pābna to Mecca points to 266.8° (west), 10.3° away from the correct 277.0°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 25 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 277.0° is the direction in which the shortest route from 24.0064° N, 89.2372° 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 Pābna to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 5,051 km from Pābna as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 5,004 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 6 h 27 min, although most pilgrims from Pābna connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Pābna 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 Pābna rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Pābna
On 146 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Pābna 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 17:44 local time.
On 212 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 07:00.
| 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 | — | 07:00 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 07:53 |
| 15 April 2027 | 17:44 | 08:36 |
| 1 May 2027 | 16:46 | 09:28 |
| 15 May 2027 | 15:58 | 10:15 |
| 1 June 2027 | 15:07 | 11:10 |
| 15 June 2027 | 14:40 | 11:42 |
| 1 July 2027 | 14:49 | 11:40 |
| 15 July 2027 | 15:25 | 11:09 |
| 1 August 2027 | 16:20 | 10:15 |
| 15 August 2027 | 17:05 | 09:26 |
| 1 September 2027 | 17:58 | 08:25 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 07:33 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 06:34 |
| 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 Pābna: at 15:18 and 15:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Pābna compared with other cities
Compared with Dhaka, 123 km away, the Qibla in Pābna is turned 0.6° further anticlockwise (277.0° against 277.7°), and Mecca is 122 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Kushtia (17 km), prays towards 277.1°, a difference of 0.1°.
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 Pābna
Qibla in Pābna: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Pābna?
It is 277.0° from true north, which is west: 7.0° north of west.
How far is Pābna from Mecca?
5,051 km in a straight line over the globe, and 5,004 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Pābna?
On 146 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 Pābna not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 266.8°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Pābna at 277.0°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 277.0° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.