Qibla · North Rhine-Westphalia
Qibla direction in Dortmund
To face the Kaaba in Dortmund, turn to 127.9° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (37.9° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,356 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Dortmund should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Dortmund as a needle at 127.9°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 128°. 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 Dortmund
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 37.9° towards south: the result is the bearing of 127.9°. 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 Dortmund.
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 Dortmund, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Dortmund 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 Dortmund to Mecca points to 139.9° (south-east), 11.9° away from the correct 127.9°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 22 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 127.9° is the direction in which the shortest route from 51.5149° N, 7.4660° 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 Dortmund to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,356 km from Dortmund as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,059 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 37 min, although most pilgrims from Dortmund connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Dortmund 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 Dortmund rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Dortmund
On 299 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Dortmund 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 09:03 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Dortmund 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 | 09:03 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 09:15 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 09:25 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:34 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 10:44 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 10:52 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 11:02 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:10 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:20 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:26 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:29 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:18 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:07 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 10:49 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 10:32 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 10:12 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:56 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 08:40 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 08:31 | — |
| 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 Dortmund: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Dortmund compared with other cities
Compared with Berlin, 422 km away, the Qibla in Dortmund is turned 8.8° further anticlockwise (127.9° against 136.7°), and Mecca is 225 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Herne (17 km), prays towards 127.6°, a difference of 0.3°.
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 Dortmund
Qibla in Dortmund: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Dortmund?
It is 127.9° from true north, which is south-east: 37.9° south of east.
How far is Dortmund from Mecca?
4,356 km in a straight line over the globe, and 4,059 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Dortmund?
On 299 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 Dortmund not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 139.9°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Dortmund at 127.9°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 127.9° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.