Qibla · Cluj County
Qibla direction in Cluj-Napoca
To face the Kaaba in Cluj-Napoca, turn to 147.0° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (33.0° east of south). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,175 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Cluj-Napoca should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Cluj-Napoca as a needle at 147.0°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 147°. 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 Cluj-Napoca
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards south and move a further 33.0° towards east: the result is the bearing of 147.0°. 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 Cluj-Napoca.
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 Cluj-Napoca, 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 Cluj-Napoca to Mecca points to 152.4° (south-east), 5.4° away from the correct 147.0°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 3 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 147.0° is the direction in which the shortest route from 46.7667° N, 23.6000° 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 Cluj-Napoca to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 3,175 km from Cluj-Napoca as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 2,858 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 4 h 14 min, although most pilgrims from Cluj-Napoca connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Cluj-Napoca 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 Cluj-Napoca rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Cluj-Napoca
On 365 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Cluj-Napoca 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 10:09 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Cluj-Napoca 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 | 10:09 | — |
| 15 January 2027 | 10:18 | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 10:29 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 10:38 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 10:44 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 10:50 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 11:56 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 12:00 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 12:06 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 12:12 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 12:20 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 12:25 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 12:28 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 12:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 12:21 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 12:12 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 11:58 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 11:45 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 11:29 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 11:17 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 10:04 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 09:58 | — |
| 1 December 2027 | 09:56 | — |
| 15 December 2027 | 10:00 | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Cluj-Napoca: at 12:18 and 12:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Cluj-Napoca compared with other cities
Compared with Bucharest, 325 km away, the Qibla in Cluj-Napoca is turned 2.3° further anticlockwise (147.0° against 149.3°), and Mecca is 323 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Târgu Mureş (77 km), prays towards 148.5°, a difference of 1.5°.
Across the 20 cities in Romania on this site, the Qibla ranges from 141.8° in Timișoara to 154.8° in Iași, a spread of 13.0°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Romania.
Qibla in cities near Cluj-Napoca
Qibla in Cluj-Napoca: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Cluj-Napoca?
It is 147.0° from true north, which is south-east: 33.0° east of south.
How far is Cluj-Napoca from Mecca?
3,175 km in a straight line over the globe, and 2,858 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Cluj-Napoca?
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 Cluj-Napoca not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 152.4°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Cluj-Napoca at 147.0°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 147.0° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.