Qibla · Occitanie
Qibla direction in Nîmes
To face the Kaaba in Nîmes, turn to 115.8° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (25.8° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,101 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Nîmes should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Nîmes as a needle at 115.8°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 116°. 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 Nîmes
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 25.8° towards south: the result is the bearing of 115.8°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 26° 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 Nîmes, 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 Nîmes to Mecca points to 127.2° (south-east), 11.4° away from the correct 115.8°. 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 115.8° is the direction in which the shortest route from 43.8367° N, 4.3579° 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 Nîmes to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,101 km from Nîmes as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,849 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 20 min, although most pilgrims from Nîmes connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Nîmes 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 Nîmes rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Nîmes
On 271 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Nîmes 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 08:32 local time.
On 55 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 20:39.
| 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 | 08:32 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 08:49 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:04 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 10:22 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 10:36 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 10:53 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:07 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:21 | 20:39 |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:29 | 20:37 |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:32 | 20:41 |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | 20:50 |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:13 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 10:56 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 10:31 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 10:08 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 09:42 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:19 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 07:56 | — |
| 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 Nîmes: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Nîmes compared with other cities
Compared with Paris, 579 km away, the Qibla in Nîmes is turned 3.3° further anticlockwise (115.8° against 119.2°), and Mecca is 395 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Montpellier (46 km), prays towards 115.0°, 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 Nîmes
- Montpellier115.0° · 46 km
- Aix-en-Provence116.7° · 94 km
- Marseille116.3° · 102 km
- Toulon116.7° · 149 km
- Perpignan112.9° · 173 km
- Saint-Etienne117.8° · 178 km
Qibla in Nîmes: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Nîmes?
It is 115.8° from true north, which is south-east: 25.8° south of east.
How far is Nîmes from Mecca?
4,101 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,849 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Nîmes?
On 271 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 Nîmes not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 127.2°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Nîmes at 115.8°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 115.8° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.