Qibla · North-West Region
Qibla direction in Kumbo
To face the Kaaba in Kumbo, turn to 58.7° measured clockwise from true north, which is north-east (31.3° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,563 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Kumbo should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Kumbo as a needle at 58.7°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 59°. 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 Kumbo
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 31.3° towards north: the result is the bearing of 58.7°. Because the angle sits far from the cardinal points, a rough guess such as “east” would be off by more than 30°, which is why a measured bearing matters in Kumbo.
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 Kumbo, 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
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Kumbo to Mecca points to 61.7° (north-east), 2.9° away from the correct 58.7°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 2 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 58.7° is the direction in which the shortest route from 6.2000° N, 10.6667° 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 Kumbo to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 3,563 km from Kumbo as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,694 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 4 h 42 min, although most pilgrims from Kumbo connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Kumbo run 2 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Kumbo rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Kumbo
On 154 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Kumbo 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 11:53 local time.
On 211 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 15:54.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | 15:54 |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 15:41 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 15:10 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 14:37 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 13:59 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 13:20 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 12:32 |
| 15 April 2027 | 11:53 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 11:12 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 10:40 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 10:12 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 10:02 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 10:08 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 10:26 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 10:58 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 12:04 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 12:34 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 13:08 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 13:40 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 14:20 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 14:53 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 15:27 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | 15:48 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Kumbo: at 10:18 and 10:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Kumbo compared with other cities
Compared with Yaoundé, 276 km away, the Qibla in Kumbo is turned 3.7° further clockwise (58.7° against 55.0°), and Mecca is 63 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Foumban (59 km), prays towards 57.9°, a difference of 0.8°.
Across the 14 cities in Cameroon on this site, the Qibla ranges from 54.1° in Bertoua to 63.0° in Maroua, a spread of 8.9°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Cameroon.
Qibla in cities near Kumbo
Qibla in Kumbo: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Kumbo?
It is 58.7° from true north, which is north-east: 31.3° north of east.
How far is Kumbo from Mecca?
3,563 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,694 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Kumbo?
On 154 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.
Is the Qibla the same everywhere in Cameroon?
No. It ranges from 54.1° to 63.0° across the country, so each city has its own bearing.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 58.7° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.