Qibla · Normandy
Qibla direction in Caen
To face the Kaaba in Caen, turn to 116.5° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (26.5° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,688 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Caen should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Caen as a needle at 116.5°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 117°. 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 Caen
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 26.5° towards south: the result is the bearing of 116.5°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 27° 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 Caen, 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 Caen to Mecca points to 130.8° (south-east), 14.3° away from the correct 116.5°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 35 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 116.5° is the direction in which the shortest route from 49.1859° N, 0.3591° W 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 Caen to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,688 km from Caen as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,415 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 6 h 01 min, although most pilgrims from Caen connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Caen 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 Caen rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Caen
On 263 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Caen 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 08:52 local time.
On 63 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 21:05.
| 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 | 08:52 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 09:05 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:18 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 10:32 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 10:44 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 10:57 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:08 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:21 | 21:05 |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:28 | 21:03 |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:30 | 21:07 |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | 21:15 |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:16 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:01 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 10:39 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 10:19 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 09:56 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:36 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | — | — |
| 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 Caen: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Caen compared with other cities
Compared with Paris, 201 km away, the Qibla in Caen is turned 2.7° further anticlockwise (116.5° against 119.2°), and Mecca is 192 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Le Havre (48 km), prays towards 117.3°, a difference of 0.8°.
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 Caen
- Le Havre117.3° · 48 km
- Rouen118.4° · 110 km
- Le Mans115.9° · 138 km
- Rennes114.0° · 154 km
- Cergy-Pontoise119.0° · 178 km
- Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines118.7° · 180 km
Qibla in Caen: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Caen?
It is 116.5° from true north, which is south-east: 26.5° south of east.
How far is Caen from Mecca?
4,688 km in a straight line over the globe, and 4,415 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Caen?
On 263 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 Caen not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 130.8°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Caen at 116.5°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 116.5° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.