Qibla · South Holland
Qibla direction in Dordrecht
To face the Kaaba in Dordrecht, turn to 124.8° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (34.8° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,530 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Dordrecht should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Dordrecht 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 Dordrecht
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 Dordrecht.
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 Dordrecht, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Dordrecht 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 Dordrecht to Mecca points to 137.9° (south-east), 13.1° 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 27 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 51.8100° N, 4.6736° 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 Dordrecht to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,530 km from Dordrecht as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,237 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 50 min, although most pilgrims from Dordrecht connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Dordrecht 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 Dordrecht rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Dordrecht
On 288 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Dordrecht 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 08:59 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Dordrecht 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 | — | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 08:59 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 09:11 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 09:22 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:31 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 10:42 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 10:51 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 11:01 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:10 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:20 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:26 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:29 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:18 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:06 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 10:47 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 10:30 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 10:10 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:53 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 08:36 | — |
| 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 Dordrecht: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Dordrecht compared with other cities
Compared with Amsterdam, 64 km away, the Qibla in Dordrecht is turned 0.8° further anticlockwise (124.8° against 125.6°), and Mecca is 24 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Rotterdam (18 km), prays towards 124.7°, a difference of 0.1°.
Across the 22 cities in the Netherlands on this site, the Qibla ranges from 124.6° in The Hague to 128.4° in Groningen, a spread of 3.8°. The difference is small, yet each city should still use its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Netherlands.
Qibla in cities near Dordrecht
Qibla in Dordrecht: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Dordrecht?
It is 124.8° from true north, which is south-east: 34.8° south of east.
How far is Dordrecht from Mecca?
4,530 km in a straight line over the globe, and 4,237 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Dordrecht?
On 288 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 Dordrecht not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 137.9°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Dordrecht 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.