Qibla · Greater Poland Voivodeship
Qibla direction in Kalisz
To face the Kaaba in Kalisz, turn to 142.7° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (37.3° east of south). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,859 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Kalisz should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Kalisz as a needle at 142.7°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 143°. 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 Kalisz
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards south and move a further 37.3° towards east: the result is the bearing of 142.7°. Because the angle sits far from the cardinal points, a rough guess such as “south” would be off by more than 30°, which is why a measured bearing matters in Kalisz.
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 Kalisz, 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 Kalisz to Mecca points to 150.7° (south-east), 8.0° away from the correct 142.7°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 9 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 142.7° is the direction in which the shortest route from 51.7611° N, 18.0910° 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 Kalisz to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 3,859 km from Kalisz as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,542 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 02 min, although most pilgrims from Kalisz connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Kalisz 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 Kalisz rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Kalisz
On 365 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Kalisz 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 09:08 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Kalisz 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 | 09:08 | — |
| 15 January 2027 | 09:17 | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 09:29 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 09:37 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 09:44 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:50 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 10:55 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 11:00 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 11:06 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:12 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:20 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:25 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:28 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:21 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:12 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 10:58 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 10:44 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 10:29 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 10:16 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 09:04 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 08:58 | — |
| 1 December 2027 | 08:56 | — |
| 15 December 2027 | 08:59 | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Kalisz: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Kalisz compared with other cities
Compared with Warsaw, 207 km away, the Qibla in Kalisz is turned 4.9° further anticlockwise (142.7° against 147.6°), and Mecca is 71 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Lodz (95 km), prays towards 144.8°, a difference of 2.1°.
Across the 33 cities in Poland on this site, the Qibla ranges from 139.1° in Szczecin to 151.6° in Bialystok, a spread of 12.6°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Poland.
Qibla in cities near Kalisz
Qibla in Kalisz: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Kalisz?
It is 142.7° from true north, which is south-east: 37.3° east of south.
How far is Kalisz from Mecca?
3,859 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,542 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Kalisz?
On 365 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 Kalisz not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 150.7°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Kalisz at 142.7°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 142.7° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.