Qibla · Central Region
Qibla direction in Lilongwe
To face the Kaaba in Lilongwe, turn to 9.6° measured clockwise from true north, which is north (9.6° east of north). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,990 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Lilongwe should follow.
Line up the top of your phone or compass with the green needle: it marks 9.6°, the Qibla of Lilongwe. Phone compasses usually display true north, so a reading of 10° is all you need; a needle compass reads magnetic north and needs the local declination added or subtracted first.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Lilongwe
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards north and move a further 9.6° towards east: the result is the bearing of 9.6°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at north would leave you about 10° off.
Facing the Qibla is a condition of the prayer. Whoever prays inside the Sacred Mosque faces the Kaaba itself; whoever is far away, as in Lilongwe, faces its direction and makes a sincere effort to be accurate. A nearby mosque is a handy reference, because its prayer rows were aligned when it was built. Once you know the direction at home, a discreet mark on the wall saves you from checking again.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
On a flat (Mercator) map, the straight line from Lilongwe to Mecca points to 9.5°, only 0.1° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 9.6° bearing remains the exact one.
How is the figure of 9.6° obtained? From the coordinates of Lilongwe (13.9669° S, 33.7873° E) and of the Kaaba (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E), spherical trigonometry gives the starting bearing of the great circle joining them. Mosque architects and astronomical Qibla tables rely on exactly the same calculation.
Distance from Lilongwe to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 3,990 km from Lilongwe as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,320 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 12 min, although most pilgrims from Lilongwe connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Lilongwe run 1 hour behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Lilongwe rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Lilongwe
On 261 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Lilongwe 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 February 2027 it happens at 11:58 local time.
On 104 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in January (31 days), for instance on 1 January 2027 at 11:55.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | 11:55 |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 11:59 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 12:01 |
| 15 February 2027 | 11:58 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 11:53 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 11:46 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 11:36 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 11:29 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 11:22 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:19 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:18 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:20 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:23 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:30 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:31 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 11:30 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 11:29 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 11:29 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 11:33 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 11:39 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | 11:47 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Lilongwe: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Lilongwe compared with other cities
The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Zomba (228 km), prays towards 7.0°, a difference of 2.6°.
Across the 4 cities in Malawi on this site, the Qibla ranges from 7.0° in Zomba to 9.9° in Mzuzu, a spread of 2.9°. The difference is small, yet each city should still use its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Malawi.
Qibla in cities near Lilongwe
Qibla in Lilongwe: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Lilongwe?
It is 9.6° from true north, which is north: 9.6° east of north.
How far is Lilongwe from Mecca?
3,990 km in a straight line over the globe, and 4,320 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Lilongwe?
On 261 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 Malawi?
No. It ranges from 7.0° to 9.9° across the country, so each city has its own bearing.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 9.6° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.