Qibla · Lombardy

Qibla direction in Brescia

To face the Kaaba in Brescia, turn to 125.0° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (35.0° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,797 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Brescia should follow.

The compass rose shows the Qibla of Brescia as a needle at 125.0°. 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 Brescia

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 35.0° towards south: the result is the bearing of 125.0°. 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 Brescia.

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 Brescia, 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 Brescia to Mecca points to 134.7° (south-east), 9.7° away from the correct 125.0°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 14 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 125.0° is the direction in which the shortest route from 45.5356° N, 10.2147° 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 Brescia to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 3,797 km from Brescia as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,522 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 4 h 58 min, although most pilgrims from Brescia connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Brescia 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 Brescia rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Brescia

On 314 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Brescia 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 1 February 2027 it happens at 08:40 local time.

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

Sun in the Qibla direction in Brescia, 2027 (local time, 24-hour clock). — means it does not happen that day.
DateSun in the Qibla direction (face the sun)Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla)
1 January 2027——
15 January 2027——
1 February 202708:40—
15 February 202708:55—
1 March 202709:08—
15 March 202709:20—
1 April 202710:33—
15 April 202710:45—
1 May 202710:57—
15 May 202711:09—
1 June 202711:21—
15 June 202711:28—
1 July 202711:30—
15 July 202711:27—
1 August 202711:16—
15 August 202711:02—
1 September 202710:40—
15 September 202710:21—
1 October 202709:58—
15 October 202709:39—
1 November 202708:19—
15 November 202708:07—
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 Brescia: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.

Brescia compared with other cities

Compared with Rome, 445 km away, the Qibla in Brescia is turned 1.7° further clockwise (125.0° against 123.3°), and Mecca is 380 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Bergamo (46 km), prays towards 124.5°, a difference of 0.5°.

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 Brescia

Qibla in Brescia: questions and answers

What is the Qibla direction in Brescia?

It is 125.0° from true north, which is south-east: 35.0° south of east.

How far is Brescia from Mecca?

3,797 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,522 km to Medina.

When does the sun show the Qibla in Brescia?

On 314 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 Brescia not the direction shown on a map?

Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 134.7°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Brescia at 125.0°, and that is the Qibla.

Does the Qibla change during the year?

No. The direction of 125.0° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.

More for Brescia