Qibla direction in Lubumbashi

How to face the Qibla in Lubumbashi

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards north and move a further 20.2° towards east: the result is the bearing of 20.2°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at north would leave you about 20° 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 Lubumbashi, 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

On a flat (Mercator) map, the straight line from Lubumbashi to Mecca points to 20.1°, only 0.1° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 20.2° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 20.2° is the direction in which the shortest route from 11.6609° S, 27.4794° 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 Lubumbashi to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 3,918 km from Lubumbashi as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,228 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 07 min, although most pilgrims from Lubumbashi connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Lubumbashi run 1 hour behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Lubumbashi rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Lubumbashi

On 248 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Lubumbashi 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 12:16 local time.

On 117 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 12:32.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Lubumbashi: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.

Lubumbashi compared with other cities

Compared with Kinshasa, 1,567 km away, the Qibla in Lubumbashi is turned 21.9° further anticlockwise (20.2° against 42.1°), and Mecca is 3 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Kipushi (27 km), prays towards 20.5°, a difference of 0.3°.

Among the 37 cities in the DR Congo on this site, Lubumbashi has the smallest Qibla bearing; the largest is 45.4° in Gemena. Across the country the direction varies by 25.2°.

See all cities on the Qibla page for DR Congo.

Qibla in cities near Lubumbashi

• Kipushi20.5° · 27 km
• Likasi21.6° · 110 km
• Kolwezi23.7° · 243 km
• Bukama24.0° · 326 km
• Kamina25.6° · 424 km
• Tshilenge27.2° · 505 km