Qibla · Punjab Province
Qibla direction in Lahore
To face the Kaaba in Lahore, turn to 260.3° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (9.7° south of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,598 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Lahore should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Lahore as a needle at 260.3°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 260°. 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 Lahore
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 9.7° towards south: the result is the bearing of 260.3°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west 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 Lahore, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Lahore 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 Lahore to Mecca points to 251.8° (west), 8.5° away from the correct 260.3°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 11 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 260.3° is the direction in which the shortest route from 31.5580° N, 74.3507° 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 Lahore to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 3,598 km from Lahore as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,485 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 4 h 44 min, although most pilgrims from Lahore connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Lahore run 2 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Lahore rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Lahore
On 220 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Lahore 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 March 2027 it happens at 17:12 local time.
On 133 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 May (31 days), for instance on 1 May 2027 at 06:25.
| 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 | — | — |
| 1 March 2027 | — | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 17:12 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 16:26 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 15:49 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 15:09 | 06:25 |
| 15 May 2027 | 14:39 | 06:54 |
| 1 June 2027 | 14:13 | 07:23 |
| 15 June 2027 | 14:03 | 07:38 |
| 1 July 2027 | 14:09 | 07:40 |
| 15 July 2027 | 14:26 | 07:27 |
| 1 August 2027 | 14:56 | 06:58 |
| 15 August 2027 | 15:24 | 06:27 |
| 1 September 2027 | 15:58 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 16:27 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 17:00 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | — | — |
| 1 November 2027 | — | — |
| 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 Lahore: at 14:18 and 14:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Lahore compared with other cities
Compared with Islamabad, 270 km away, the Qibla in Lahore is turned 4.5° further clockwise (260.3° against 255.8°), and Mecca is 70 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Muridke (29 km), prays towards 259.9°, a difference of 0.5°.
Across the 125 cities in Pakistan on this site, the Qibla ranges from 253.6° in Mingora to 269.0° in Badin, a spread of 15.5°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Pakistan.
Qibla in cities near Lahore
- Muridke259.9° · 29 km
- Raja Jang260.8° · 39 km
- Shekhupura259.8° · 39 km
- Kamoke259.6° · 48 km
- Kasur261.1° · 50 km
- Phool Nagar260.6° · 55 km
Qibla in Lahore: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Lahore?
It is 260.3° from true north, which is west: 9.7° south of west.
How far is Lahore from Mecca?
3,598 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,485 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Lahore?
On 220 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 Lahore not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 251.8°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Lahore at 260.3°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 260.3° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.