Qibla · Bavaria
Qibla direction in Munich
To face the Kaaba in Munich, turn to 129.8° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (39.8° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,891 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Munich should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Munich as a needle at 129.8°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 130°. 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 Munich
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 39.8° towards south: the result is the bearing of 129.8°. 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 Munich.
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 Munich, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Munich 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 Munich to Mecca points to 139.5° (south-east), 9.8° away from the correct 129.8°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 14 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 129.8° is the direction in which the shortest route from 48.1374° N, 11.5755° 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 Munich to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 3,891 km from Munich as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,600 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 05 min, although most pilgrims from Munich connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Munich 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 Munich rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Munich
On 331 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Munich 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 January 2027 it happens at 08:42 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Munich 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 | 08:42 | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 08:58 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 09:10 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 09:21 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:30 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 10:41 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 10:50 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 11:01 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:10 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:20 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:29 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:18 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:05 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 10:47 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 10:29 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 10:09 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:52 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 08:35 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 08:25 | — |
| 1 December 2027 | 08:20 | — |
| 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 Munich: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Munich compared with other cities
Compared with Berlin, 505 km away, the Qibla in Munich is turned 6.9° further anticlockwise (129.8° against 136.7°), and Mecca is 240 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Augsburg (56 km), prays towards 129.1°, a difference of 0.7°.
Across the 63 cities in Germany on this site, the Qibla ranges from 124.8° in Freiburg im Breisgau to 136.7° in Berlin, a spread of 11.9°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Germany.
Qibla in cities near Munich
- Augsburg129.1° · 56 km
- Ingolstadt130.3° · 71 km
- Regensburg131.5° · 105 km
- Ulm128.0° · 121 km
- Nuremberg130.5° · 151 km
- Erlangen130.6° · 167 km
Qibla in Munich: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Munich?
It is 129.8° from true north, which is south-east: 39.8° south of east.
How far is Munich from Mecca?
3,891 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,600 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Munich?
On 331 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 Munich not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 139.5°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Munich at 129.8°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 129.8° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.