Qibla direction in Lisala

How to face the Qibla in Lisala

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards north and move a further 41.4° towards east: the result is the bearing of 41.4°. Because the angle sits far from the cardinal points, a rough guess such as “north” would be off by more than 40°, which is why a measured bearing matters in Lisala.

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 Lisala, 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 Lisala to Mecca points to 42.8°, only 1.4° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 41.4° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 41.4° is the direction in which the shortest route from 2.1513° N, 21.5167° 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 Lisala to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 2,919 km from Lisala as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,152 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 3 h 56 min, although most pilgrims from Lisala connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Lisala 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 Lisala rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Lisala

On 176 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Lisala 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 11:29 local time.

On 189 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 13:13.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Lisala: at 10:18 and 10:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.

Lisala compared with other cities

Compared with Kinshasa, 997 km away, the Qibla in Lisala is turned 0.7° further anticlockwise (41.4° against 42.1°), and Mecca is 996 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Bumba (106 km), prays towards 40.0°, a difference of 1.4°.

Across the 37 cities in the DR Congo on this site, the Qibla ranges from 20.2° in Lubumbashi to 45.4° in Gemena, a spread of 25.2°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.

See all cities on the Qibla page for DR Congo.

Qibla in cities near Lisala

• Bumba40.0° · 106 km
• Gemena45.4° · 229 km
• Mbandaka43.2° · 431 km
• Kisangani33.4° · 447 km
• Isiro31.5° · 681 km
• Bakwa33.8° · 689 km