Qibla · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Qibla direction in Saint-Etienne
To face the Kaaba in Saint-Etienne, turn to 117.8° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (27.8° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,179 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Saint-Etienne should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Saint-Etienne as a needle at 117.8°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 118°. 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 Saint-Etienne
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 27.8° towards south: the result is the bearing of 117.8°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 28° 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 Saint-Etienne, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Saint-Etienne 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 Saint-Etienne to Mecca points to 129.5° (south-east), 11.7° away from the correct 117.8°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 21 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 117.8° is the direction in which the shortest route from 45.4339° N, 4.3900° 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 Saint-Etienne to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,179 km from Saint-Etienne as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,917 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 25 min, although most pilgrims from Saint-Etienne connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Saint-Etienne run 2 hours behind Mecca in winter and 1 hour behind 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 Saint-Etienne rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Saint-Etienne
On 277 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Saint-Etienne 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 15 February 2027 it happens at 08:41 local time.
On 44 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 June (30 days), for instance on 1 June 2027 at 20:51.
| 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 | 08:41 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 08:56 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:10 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 10:27 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 10:40 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 10:55 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:07 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:21 | 20:51 |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:29 | 20:49 |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:31 | 20:53 |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:14 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 10:59 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 10:35 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 10:13 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 09:48 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:27 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 08:05 | — |
| 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 Saint-Etienne: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Saint-Etienne compared with other cities
Compared with Paris, 410 km away, the Qibla in Saint-Etienne is turned 1.4° further anticlockwise (117.8° against 119.2°), and Mecca is 317 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Lyon (50 km), prays towards 118.6°, a difference of 0.9°.
Across the 37 cities in France on this site, the Qibla ranges from 111.4° in Brest, Brittany Region, France to 125.3° in Strasbourg, a spread of 13.8°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for France.
Qibla in cities near Saint-Etienne
- Lyon118.6° · 50 km
- Grenoble119.0° · 107 km
- Clermont-Ferrand116.7° · 108 km
- Nîmes115.8° · 178 km
- Montpellier115.0° · 207 km
- Dijon120.6° · 214 km
Qibla in Saint-Etienne: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Saint-Etienne?
It is 117.8° from true north, which is south-east: 27.8° south of east.
How far is Saint-Etienne from Mecca?
4,179 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,917 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Saint-Etienne?
On 277 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 Saint-Etienne not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 129.5°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Saint-Etienne at 117.8°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 117.8° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.