Qibla · Ardabil Province
Qibla direction in Pārsābād
To face the Kaaba in Pārsābād, turn to 203.1° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-west (23.1° west of south). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 2,167 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Pārsābād should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Pārsābād as a needle at 203.1°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 203°. 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 Pārsābād
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards south and move a further 23.1° towards west: the result is the bearing of 203.1°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at south would leave you about 23° 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 Pārsābād, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Pārsābād 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 Pārsābād to Mecca points to 200.8° (south), 2.3° away from the correct 203.1°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is not 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 203.1° is the direction in which the shortest route from 39.6482° N, 47.9174° 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 Pārsābād to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 2,167 km from Pārsābād as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 1,859 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 3 h 03 min, although most pilgrims from Pārsābād connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Pārsābād run 0.5 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Pārsābād rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Pārsābād
On 365 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Pārsābād while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in January (31 days); for example, on 1 January 2027 it happens at 13:54 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Pārsābād 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 | 13:54 | — |
| 15 January 2027 | 13:57 | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 13:55 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 13:50 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 13:41 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 13:31 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 13:18 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 13:07 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 12:57 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 12:51 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 12:48 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 12:48 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 12:52 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 12:57 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 13:02 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 13:06 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 13:09 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 13:11 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 13:13 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 13:16 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 13:22 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 13:28 | — |
| 1 December 2027 | 13:37 | — |
| 15 December 2027 | 13:46 | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Pārsābād: at 12:48 and 12:57 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Pārsābād compared with other cities
Compared with Tehran, 537 km away, the Qibla in Pārsābād is turned 15.4° further anticlockwise (203.1° against 218.5°), and Mecca is 221 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Ahar (149 km), prays towards 202.1°, a difference of 1.0°.
Across the 90 cities in Iran on this site, the Qibla ranges from 195.9° in Khoy to 257.6° in Iranshahr, a spread of 61.7°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Iran.
Qibla in cities near Pārsābād
Qibla in Pārsābād: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Pārsābād?
It is 203.1° from true north, which is south-west: 23.1° west of south.
How far is Pārsābād from Mecca?
2,167 km in a straight line over the globe, and 1,859 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Pārsābād?
On 365 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.
Is the Qibla the same everywhere in Iran?
No. It ranges from 195.9° to 257.6° across the country, so each city has its own bearing.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 203.1° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.