Qibla direction in Khan Yunis

How to face the Qibla in Khan Yunis

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards south and move a further 27.8° towards east: the result is the bearing of 152.2°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at south would leave you about 28° 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 Khan Yunis, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Khan Yunis 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 Khan Yunis to Mecca points to 153.5°, only 1.3° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 152.2° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 152.2° is the direction in which the shortest route from 31.3402° N, 34.3063° 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 Khan Yunis to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 1,232 km from Khan Yunis as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 925 km away. The distance is short enough that many pilgrims from Khan Yunis travel to the Hijaz by road.

Clocks in Khan Yunis run 1 hour behind Mecca in winter and the same time as 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 Khan Yunis rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Khan Yunis

On 365 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Khan Yunis while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in January (31 days); for example, on 1 January 2027 it happens at 10:02 local time.

The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Khan Yunis during daylight, so the shadow method does not apply here; the left-hand column is the one to use.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Khan Yunis: at 12:18 and 12:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.

Khan Yunis compared with other cities

Compared with Şūr Bāhir, 98 km away, the Qibla in Khan Yunis is turned 5.0° further anticlockwise (152.2° against 157.2°), and Mecca is 2 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Gaza (24 km), prays towards 153.3°, a difference of 1.1°.

Among the 5 cities in Palestine on this site, Khan Yunis has the smallest Qibla bearing; the largest is 158.2° in Nablus. Across the country the direction varies by 6.0°.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Palestine.

Qibla in cities near Khan Yunis

• Gaza153.3° · 24 km
• Hebron156.2° · 78 km
• Şūr Bāhir157.2° · 98 km
• Nablus158.2° · 133 km