Qibla direction in Qal‘at Sukkar

How to face the Qibla in Qal‘at Sukkar

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards south and move a further 29.6° towards west: the result is the bearing of 209.6°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at south would leave you about 30° 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 Qal‘at Sukkar, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of a local mosque 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

On a flat (Mercator) map, the straight line from Qal‘at Sukkar to Mecca points to 208.1°, only 1.5° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 209.6° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 209.6° is the direction in which the shortest route from 31.8632° N, 46.0732° 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 Qal‘at Sukkar to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 1,316 km from Qal‘at Sukkar as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 1,038 km away. The distance is short enough that many pilgrims from Qal‘at Sukkar travel to the Hijaz by road.

Clocks in Qal‘at Sukkar run the same time as Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Qal‘at Sukkar rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Qal‘at Sukkar

On 365 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Qal‘at Sukkar 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 13:51 local time.

The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Qal‘at Sukkar during daylight, so the shadow method does not apply here; the left-hand column is the one to use.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Qal‘at Sukkar: at 12:18 and 12:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.

Qal‘at Sukkar compared with other cities

Compared with Baghdad, 227 km away, the Qibla in Qal‘at Sukkar is turned 9.7° further clockwise (209.6° against 199.9°), and Mecca is 84 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Ash Shaţrah (51 km), prays towards 211.1°, a difference of 1.5°.

Across the 40 cities in Iraq on this site, the Qibla ranges from 190.9° in Duhok to 224.3° in Al Fāw, a spread of 33.4°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Iraq.

Qibla in cities near Qal‘at Sukkar

• Ash Shaţrah211.1° · 51 km
• Kut207.1° · 76 km
• Nasiriyah212.4° · 91 km
• Samawah207.6° · 94 km
• An Nu‘mānīyah205.4° · 99 km
• Amarah213.9° · 101 km