Qibla · Emilia-Romagna
Qibla direction in Modena
To face the Kaaba in Modena, turn to 124.8° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (34.8° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,695 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Modena should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Modena as a needle at 124.8°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 125°. 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 Modena
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 34.8° towards south: the result is the bearing of 124.8°. 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 Modena.
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 Modena, 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
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Modena to Mecca points to 134.2° (south-east), 9.3° away from the correct 124.8°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 12 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 124.8° is the direction in which the shortest route from 44.6478° N, 10.9254° 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 Modena to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 3,695 km from Modena as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,423 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 4 h 51 min, although most pilgrims from Modena connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Modena 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 Modena rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Modena
On 321 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Modena 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 08:20 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Modena 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 | 08:20 | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 08:37 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 08:52 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 09:05 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:18 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 10:32 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 10:44 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 10:57 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:08 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:21 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:28 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:30 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:16 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:01 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 10:39 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 10:19 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 09:56 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:36 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 08:16 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 08:04 | — |
| 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 Modena: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Modena compared with other cities
Compared with Rome, 332 km away, the Qibla in Modena is turned 1.5° further clockwise (124.8° against 123.3°), and Mecca is 278 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Reggio Emilia (24 km), prays towards 124.5°, a difference of 0.3°.
Across the 42 cities in Italy on this site, the Qibla ranges from 115.2° in Cagliari to 130.0° in Trieste, a spread of 14.8°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Italy.
Qibla in cities near Modena
Qibla in Modena: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Modena?
It is 124.8° from true north, which is south-east: 34.8° south of east.
How far is Modena from Mecca?
3,695 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,423 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Modena?
On 321 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 Modena not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 134.2°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Modena at 124.8°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 124.8° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.