Qibla direction in Ţimā

How to face the Qibla in Ţimā

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 33.8° towards south: the result is the bearing of 123.8°. Because the angle sits far from the cardinal points, a rough guess such as “east” would be off by more than 30°, which is why a measured bearing matters in Ţimā.

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 Ţimā, 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 Ţimā to Mecca points to 125.6°, only 1.8° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 123.8° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 123.8° is the direction in which the shortest route from 26.9084° N, 31.4347° 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 Ţimā to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 1,047 km from Ţimā as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 863 km away. The distance is short enough that many pilgrims from Ţimā travel to the Hijaz by road.

Clocks in Ţimā run 1 hour behind Mecca in winter and the same time as 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 Ţimā rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Ţimā

On 365 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Ţimā while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in January (31 days); for example, on 1 January 2027 it happens at 07:50 local time.

The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Ţimā during daylight, so the shadow method does not apply here; the left-hand column is the one to use.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Ţimā: at 12:18 and 12:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.

Ţimā compared with other cities

Compared with Cairo, 351 km away, the Qibla in Ţimā is turned 12.4° further anticlockwise (123.8° against 136.2°), and Mecca is 241 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Ţahţā (17 km), prays towards 123.4°, a difference of 0.5°.

Across the 55 cities in Egypt on this site, the Qibla ranges from 111.3° in Aswān to 149.5° in Arish, a spread of 38.2°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Egypt.

Qibla in cities near Ţimā

• Ţahţā123.4° · 17 km
• Abū Tīj124.1° · 19 km
• Asyut124.3° · 39 km
• Sohag122.9° · 47 km
• Manfalūţ124.2° · 64 km
• Jirja122.5° · 78 km