Qibla direction in Mzuzu

How to face the Qibla in Mzuzu

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards north and move a further 9.9° towards east: the result is the bearing of 9.9°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at north would leave you about 10° 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 Mzuzu, 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 Mzuzu to Mecca points to 9.8°, only 0.0° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 9.9° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 9.9° is the direction in which the shortest route from 11.4656° S, 34.0207° 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 Mzuzu to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 3,712 km from Mzuzu as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,041 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 4 h 52 min, although most pilgrims from Mzuzu connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Mzuzu 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 Mzuzu rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Mzuzu

On 247 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Mzuzu 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 March 2027 it happens at 11:54 local time.

On 118 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 11:56.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Mzuzu: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.

Mzuzu compared with other cities

The Qibla here is practically the same as in Lilongwe (9.6°), and Mecca is 278 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Lilongwe (279 km), prays towards 9.6°, a difference of 0.2°.

Among the 4 cities in Malawi on this site, Mzuzu has the largest Qibla bearing; the smallest is 7.0° in Zomba. Across the country the direction varies by 2.9°.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Malawi.

Qibla in cities near Mzuzu

• Lilongwe9.6° · 279 km
• Zomba7.0° · 458 km
• Blantyre7.4° · 492 km