Qibla · Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Qibla direction in Besançon
To face the Kaaba in Besançon, turn to 121.7° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (31.7° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,171 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Besançon should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Besançon as a needle at 121.7°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 122°. 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 Besançon
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 31.7° towards south: the result is the bearing of 121.7°. 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 Besançon.
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 Besançon, 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 Besançon to Mecca points to 133.3° (south-east), 11.5° away from the correct 121.7°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 20 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 121.7° is the direction in which the shortest route from 47.2488° N, 6.0182° 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 Besançon to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,171 km from Besançon as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,896 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 24 min, although most pilgrims from Besançon connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Besançon 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 Besançon rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Besançon
On 291 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Besançon 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 08:39 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Besançon 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 | 08:39 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 08:54 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 09:07 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:19 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 10:33 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 10:44 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 10:57 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:09 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:21 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:28 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:30 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:16 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:02 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 10:40 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 10:20 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 09:57 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:38 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 08:18 | — |
| 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 Besançon: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Besançon compared with other cities
Compared with Paris, 326 km away, the Qibla in Besançon is turned 2.6° further clockwise (121.7° against 119.2°), and Mecca is 325 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Dijon (76 km), prays towards 120.6°, a difference of 1.1°.
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 Besançon
Qibla in Besançon: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Besançon?
It is 121.7° from true north, which is south-east: 31.7° south of east.
How far is Besançon from Mecca?
4,171 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,896 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Besançon?
On 291 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 Besançon not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 133.3°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Besançon at 121.7°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 121.7° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.