Qibla · Oyo State
Qibla direction in Oyo
To face the Kaaba in Oyo, turn to 64.6° measured clockwise from true north, which is north-east (25.4° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,132 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Oyo should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Oyo as a needle at 64.6°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 65°. 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 Oyo
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 25.4° towards north: the result is the bearing of 64.6°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 25° 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 Oyo, 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 Oyo to Mecca points to 68.6° (east), 4.0° away from the correct 64.6°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 5 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 64.6° is the direction in which the shortest route from 7.8537° N, 3.9324° 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 Oyo to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,132 km from Oyo as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,215 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 22 min, although most pilgrims from Oyo connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Oyo run 2 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Oyo rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Oyo
On 146 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Oyo while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 15 April 2027 it happens at 12:28 local time.
On 219 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 17:46.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | 17:46 |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 17:21 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 16:34 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 15:50 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 15:03 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 14:14 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 13:16 |
| 15 April 2027 | 12:28 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 11:35 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 10:52 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 10:09 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 09:50 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 09:57 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 10:25 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:12 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:53 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 12:41 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 13:20 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 14:04 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 14:45 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 15:37 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 16:22 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 17:12 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | 17:43 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Oyo: at 10:18 and 10:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Oyo compared with other cities
The Qibla here is practically the same as in Abuja (64.6°), and Mecca is 411 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Iwo (37 km), prays towards 64.3°, a difference of 0.4°.
Across the 90 cities in Nigeria on this site, the Qibla ranges from 58.6° in Esuk Oron to 70.9° in Sokoto, a spread of 12.3°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Nigeria.
Qibla in cities near Oyo
Qibla in Oyo: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Oyo?
It is 64.6° from true north, which is north-east: 25.4° north of east.
How far is Oyo from Mecca?
4,132 km in a straight line over the globe, and 4,215 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Oyo?
On 146 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 Oyo not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 68.6°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Oyo at 64.6°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 64.6° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.