Qibla · South Khorasan Province
Qibla direction in Birjand
To face the Kaaba in Birjand, turn to 241.2° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-west (28.8° south of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 2,296 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Birjand should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Birjand as a needle at 241.2°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 241°. 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 Birjand
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 28.8° towards south: the result is the bearing of 241.2°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 29° 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 Birjand, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Birjand 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 Birjand to Mecca points to 236.4° (south-west), 4.8° away from the correct 241.2°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 2 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 241.2° is the direction in which the shortest route from 32.8663° N, 59.2211° 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 Birjand to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 2,296 km from Birjand as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 2,124 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 3 h 12 min, although most pilgrims from Birjand connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Birjand 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 Birjand rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Birjand
On 320 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Birjand 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 16:20 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Birjand 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 | 16:20 | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 16:03 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 15:42 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 15:17 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 14:50 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 14:16 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 13:49 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 13:21 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 13:01 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 12:45 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 12:40 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 12:45 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 12:56 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 13:15 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 13:33 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 13:55 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 14:14 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 14:35 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 14:55 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 15:20 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 15:42 | — |
| 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 Birjand: at 12:48 and 12:57 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Birjand compared with other cities
Compared with Tehran, 782 km away, the Qibla in Birjand is turned 22.8° further clockwise (241.2° against 218.5°), and Mecca is 350 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Torbat-e Ḩeydarīyeh (268 km), prays towards 235.9°, a difference of 5.3°.
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 Birjand
- Torbat-e Ḩeydarīyeh235.9° · 268 km
- Kāshmar234.7° · 273 km
- Zabol248.8° · 296 km
- Marāgheh, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran235.5° · 332 km
- Kerman244.3° · 352 km
- Neyshabur233.3° · 374 km
Qibla in Birjand: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Birjand?
It is 241.2° from true north, which is south-west: 28.8° south of west.
How far is Birjand from Mecca?
2,296 km in a straight line over the globe, and 2,124 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Birjand?
On 320 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 Birjand not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 236.4°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Birjand at 241.2°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 241.2° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.