Qibla · Sikasso
Qibla direction in Koutiala
To face the Kaaba in Koutiala, turn to 71.9° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (18.1° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,905 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Koutiala should follow.
Line up the top of your phone or compass with the green needle: it marks 71.9°, the Qibla of Koutiala. Phone compasses usually display true north, so a reading of 72° 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 Koutiala
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 18.1° towards north: the result is the bearing of 71.9°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 18° 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 Koutiala, faces its direction and makes a sincere effort to be accurate. Any of the mosques of Koutiala is a handy reference, because the 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
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Koutiala to Mecca points to 78.2° (east), 6.3° away from the correct 71.9°. 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.
How is the figure of 71.9° obtained? From the coordinates of Koutiala (12.3872° N, 5.4651° W) 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 Koutiala to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,905 km from Koutiala as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,917 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 6 h 16 min, although most pilgrims from Koutiala connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Koutiala run 3 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Koutiala rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Koutiala
On 75 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Koutiala while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (30 days); for example, on 1 May 2027 it happens at 11:43 local time.
On 160 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 March (31 days), for instance on 15 February 2027 at 17:05.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | — |
| 1 February 2027 | — | — |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 17:05 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 16:04 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 15:05 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 13:53 |
| 15 April 2027 | — | 12:53 |
| 1 May 2027 | 11:43 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 06:25 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 08:02 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:04 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 12:05 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 13:10 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 14:00 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 14:57 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 15:49 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 17:00 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | — |
| 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 Koutiala: at 09:18 and 09:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Koutiala compared with other cities
The Qibla here is practically the same as in Bamako (72.3°), and Mecca is 252 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, San (118 km), prays towards 72.8°, a difference of 0.9°.
Across the 9 cities in Mali on this site, the Qibla ranges from 70.9° in Sikasso to 75.9° in Gao, a spread of 5.0°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Mali.
Qibla in cities near Koutiala
Qibla in Koutiala: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Koutiala?
It is 71.9° from true north, which is east: 18.1° north of east.
How far is Koutiala from Mecca?
4,905 km in a straight line over the globe, and 4,917 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Koutiala?
On 75 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 Koutiala not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 78.2°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Koutiala at 71.9°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 71.9° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.