Qibla · Gansu
Qibla direction in Dunhuang
To face the Kaaba in Dunhuang, turn to 265.0° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (5.0° south of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 5,541 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Dunhuang should follow.
On the compass the green needle points to 265.0°. If your phone shows true north, rotate until the heading reads 265°; with a classic magnetic compass, first correct for the local magnetic declination, which can shift the needle by several degrees.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Dunhuang
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 5.0° towards south: the result is the bearing of 265.0°. The direction is close to due west, which makes it easy to remember.
Scholars agree that someone who can see the Kaaba must face it exactly, while someone far away faces its direction (jihat al-Ka‘bah) as precisely as reasonably possible. If a mosque is nearby, its mihrab and prayer lines are the easiest reference, since they were set when the building was laid out. At home, mark the direction once with tape or a small arrow so the whole family prays the same way.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
This is a place where maps mislead badly: a straight line on a flat map from Dunhuang to Mecca points to 248.2° (west), a full 16.8° away from the true Qibla of 265.0° (west). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 61 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Dunhuang first heads west, and that is the direction to face.
The angle on this page is the initial bearing of the great circle from 40.1667° N, 94.6833° E to the Kaaba (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E). It is the method used by mosque architects and by every serious Qibla calculator, and it gives one exact answer for each point on Earth.
Distance from Dunhuang to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 5,541 km from Dunhuang as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 5,369 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 7 h 01 min, although most pilgrims from Dunhuang connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Dunhuang run 5 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Dunhuang rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Dunhuang
On 194 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Dunhuang 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 1 April 2027 it happens at 18:53 local time.
On 153 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 April 2027 at 07:56.
| 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 | — | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 18:53 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 18:24 | 07:56 |
| 1 May 2027 | 17:54 | 08:21 |
| 15 May 2027 | 17:32 | 08:41 |
| 1 June 2027 | 17:15 | 09:01 |
| 15 June 2027 | 17:09 | 09:12 |
| 1 July 2027 | 17:14 | 09:15 |
| 15 July 2027 | 17:26 | 09:07 |
| 1 August 2027 | 17:47 | 08:47 |
| 15 August 2027 | 18:07 | 08:24 |
| 1 September 2027 | 18:31 | 07:51 |
| 15 September 2027 | 18:51 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | — | — |
| 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 Dunhuang: at 17:18 and 17:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Dunhuang compared with other cities
Compared with Beijing, 1,844 km away, the Qibla in Dunhuang is turned 13.9° further anticlockwise (265.0° against 278.9°), and Mecca is 1,844 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Jiayuguan (309 km), prays towards 267.7°, a difference of 2.7°.
Across the 612 cities in China on this site, the Qibla ranges from 249.0° in Tacheng to 286.5° in Suifenhe, a spread of 37.5°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for China.
Qibla in cities near Dunhuang
Qibla in Dunhuang: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Dunhuang?
It is 265.0° from true north, which is west: 5.0° south of west.
How far is Dunhuang from Mecca?
5,541 km in a straight line over the globe, and 5,369 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Dunhuang?
On 194 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 Dunhuang not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 248.2°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Dunhuang at 265.0°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 265.0° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.