Qibla direction in Halifax

How to face the Qibla in Halifax

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 24.4° towards north: the result is the bearing of 65.6°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 24° 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 Halifax, 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

This is a place where maps mislead badly: a straight line on a flat map from Halifax to Mecca points to 105.2° (east), a full 39.6° away from the true Qibla of 65.6° (north-east). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 511 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Halifax first heads north-east, and that is the direction to face.

The value of 65.6° is the direction in which the shortest route from 44.6427° N, 63.5769° W 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 Halifax to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 9,349 km from Halifax as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 9,092 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 11 h 30 min, although most pilgrims from Halifax connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Halifax run 7 hours behind Mecca in winter and 6 hours behind 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 Halifax rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Halifax

On 67 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Halifax while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in June (30 days); for example, on 1 June 2027 it happens at 06:21 local time.

On 266 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 March (31 days), for instance on 15 February 2027 at 17:00.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Halifax: at 06:18 and 06:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.

Halifax compared with other cities

Compared with Ottawa, 956 km away, the Qibla in Halifax is turned 8.4° further clockwise (65.6° against 57.2°), and Mecca is 795 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada (313 km), prays towards 68.0°, a difference of 2.5°.

Across the 46 cities in Canada on this site, the Qibla ranges from 16.5° in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada to 73.4° in St. John's, a spread of 56.9°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Canada.

Qibla in cities near Halifax

• Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada68.0° · 313 km
• Québec60.4° · 640 km
• Sherbrooke59.9° · 659 km
• Saguenay60.6° · 710 km
• Trois-Rivières59.4° · 724 km
• Montreal58.7° · 791 km