Qibla · Xinjiang
Qibla direction in Xinyuan
To face the Kaaba in Xinyuan, turn to 252.7° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (17.3° south of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,680 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Xinyuan should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Xinyuan as a needle at 252.7°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 253°. 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 Xinyuan
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 17.3° towards south: the result is the bearing of 252.7°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 17° 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 Xinyuan, 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 Xinyuan to Mecca points to 238.7° (south-west), 13.9° away from the correct 252.7°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 35 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 252.7° is the direction in which the shortest route from 43.4265° N, 83.2496° 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 Xinyuan to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,680 km from Xinyuan as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,477 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 6 h, although most pilgrims from Xinyuan connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Xinyuan 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 Xinyuan rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Xinyuan
On 239 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Xinyuan while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in March (31 days); for example, on 1 March 2027 it happens at 17:31 local time.
On 105 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 1 May 2027 at 05:46.
| 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 | 17:31 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 17:07 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 16:36 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 16:11 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 15:47 | 05:46 |
| 15 May 2027 | 15:29 | 06:02 |
| 1 June 2027 | 15:16 | 06:19 |
| 15 June 2027 | 15:12 | 06:28 |
| 1 July 2027 | 15:16 | 06:30 |
| 15 July 2027 | 15:26 | 06:25 |
| 1 August 2027 | 15:43 | 06:09 |
| 15 August 2027 | 15:58 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 16:17 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 16:33 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 16:51 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 17:08 | — |
| 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 Xinyuan: at 15:18 and 15:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Xinyuan compared with other cities
Compared with Beijing, 2,763 km away, the Qibla in Xinyuan is turned 26.2° further anticlockwise (252.7° against 278.9°), and Mecca is 2,705 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Yining (164 km), prays towards 250.3°, a difference of 2.4°.
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 Xinyuan
Qibla in Xinyuan: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Xinyuan?
It is 252.7° from true north, which is west: 17.3° south of west.
How far is Xinyuan from Mecca?
4,680 km in a straight line over the globe, and 4,477 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Xinyuan?
On 239 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 Xinyuan not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 238.7°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Xinyuan at 252.7°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 252.7° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.