Qibla · Nzérékoré Region
Qibla direction in Nzérékoré
To face the Kaaba in Nzérékoré, turn to 68.2° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (21.8° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 5,426 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Nzérékoré should follow.
Line up the top of your phone or compass with the green needle: it marks 68.2°, the Qibla of Nzérékoré. Phone compasses usually display true north, so a reading of 68° is all you need; a needle compass reads magnetic north and needs the local declination added or subtracted first.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Nzérékoré
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 21.8° towards north: the result is the bearing of 68.2°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 22° off.
Facing the Qibla is a condition of the prayer. Whoever prays inside the Sacred Mosque faces the Kaaba itself; whoever is far away, as in Nzérékoré, faces its direction and makes a sincere effort to be accurate. A nearby mosque is a handy reference, because its prayer rows were aligned when it was built. Once you know the direction at home, a discreet mark on the wall saves you from checking again.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Nzérékoré to Mecca points to 73.8° (east), 5.5° away from the correct 68.2°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 11 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.
How is the figure of 68.2° obtained? From the coordinates of Nzérékoré (7.7562° N, 8.8179° W) and of the Kaaba (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E), spherical trigonometry gives the starting bearing of the great circle joining them. Mosque architects and astronomical Qibla tables rely on exactly the same calculation.
Distance from Nzérékoré to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 5,426 km from Nzérékoré as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 5,463 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 6 h 53 min, although most pilgrims from Nzérékoré connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Nzérékoré run 3 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Nzérékoré rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Nzérékoré
On 124 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Nzérékoré while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 15 April 2027 it happens at 12:14 local time.
On 167 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 March (31 days), for instance on 1 February 2027 at 17:08.
| 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 | — | 17:08 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 16:11 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 15:15 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 14:19 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 13:10 |
| 15 April 2027 | 12:14 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 11:10 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 10:13 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 08:59 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 09:24 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 10:37 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:31 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 12:30 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 13:17 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 14:10 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 14:59 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 16:03 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 17:03 |
| 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 Nzérékoré: at 09:18 and 09:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Nzérékoré compared with other cities
Compared with Conakry, 570 km away, the Qibla in Nzérékoré is turned 2.0° further anticlockwise (68.2° against 70.3°), and Mecca is 430 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Kissidougou (212 km), prays towards 69.6°, a difference of 1.4°.
Among the 9 cities in Guinea on this site, Nzérékoré has the smallest Qibla bearing; the largest is 71.5° in Labé. Across the country the direction varies by 3.2°.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Guinea.
Qibla in cities near Nzérékoré
Qibla in Nzérékoré: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Nzérékoré?
It is 68.2° from true north, which is east: 21.8° north of east.
How far is Nzérékoré from Mecca?
5,426 km in a straight line over the globe, and 5,463 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Nzérékoré?
On 124 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 Nzérékoré not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 73.8°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Nzérékoré at 68.2°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 68.2° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.