Qibla · North Ostrobothnia
Qibla direction in Oulu
To face the Kaaba in Oulu, turn to 160.8° measured clockwise from true north, which is south (19.2° east of south). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,959 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Oulu should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Oulu as a needle at 160.8°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 161°. 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 Oulu
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards south and move a further 19.2° towards east: the result is the bearing of 160.8°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at south would leave you about 19° 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 Oulu, 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 Oulu to Mecca points to 167.4° (south), 6.6° away from the correct 160.8°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 7 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 160.8° is the direction in which the shortest route from 65.0124° N, 25.4682° 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 Oulu to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,959 km from Oulu as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,621 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 6 h 20 min, although most pilgrims from Oulu connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Oulu 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 Oulu rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Oulu
On 308 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Oulu 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 February 2027 it happens at 11:12 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Oulu during daylight, so the shadow method does not apply here; the left-hand column is the one to use.
| 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 | 11:12 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 11:15 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 11:16 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 11:16 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 12:15 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 12:14 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 12:14 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 12:15 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 12:19 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 12:22 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 12:26 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 12:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 12:25 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 12:21 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 12:13 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 12:05 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 11:56 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 11:49 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 10:43 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 10:42 | — |
| 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 Oulu: at 12:18 and 12:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Oulu compared with other cities
Compared with Helsinki, 539 km away, the Qibla in Oulu is turned 2.6° further clockwise (160.8° against 158.2°), and Mecca is 495 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Kuopio (259 km), prays towards 163.1°, a difference of 2.3°.
Across the 9 cities in Finland on this site, the Qibla ranges from 154.6° in Turku to 163.1° in Kuopio, a spread of 8.4°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Finland.
Qibla in cities near Oulu
Qibla in Oulu: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Oulu?
It is 160.8° from true north, which is south: 19.2° east of south.
How far is Oulu from Mecca?
4,959 km in a straight line over the globe, and 4,621 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Oulu?
On 308 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 Oulu not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 167.4°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Oulu at 160.8°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 160.8° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.