Qibla direction in Arkhangelsk

How to face the Qibla in Arkhangelsk

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards south and move a further 1.0° towards west: the result is the bearing of 181.0°. The direction is close to due south, which makes it easy to remember.

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 Arkhangelsk, 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

On a flat (Mercator) map, the straight line from Arkhangelsk to Mecca points to 180.7°, only 0.3° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 181.0° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 181.0° is the direction in which the shortest route from 64.5461° N, 40.5518° 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 Arkhangelsk to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 4,795 km from Arkhangelsk as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,457 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 6 h 09 min, although most pilgrims from Arkhangelsk connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Arkhangelsk run the same time as Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Arkhangelsk rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Arkhangelsk

On 333 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Arkhangelsk while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in March (31 days); for example, on 15 January 2027 it happens at 12:31 local time.

The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Arkhangelsk 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 Arkhangelsk: at 12:18 and 12:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.

Arkhangelsk compared with other cities

Compared with Moscow, 991 km away, the Qibla in Arkhangelsk is turned 4.6° further clockwise (181.0° against 176.4°), and Mecca is 974 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Severodvinsk (35 km), prays towards 180.0°, a difference of 1.0°.

Across the 158 cities in Russia on this site, the Qibla ranges from 148.7° in Kaliningrad to 305.3° in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, a spread of 156.6°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Russia.

Qibla in cities near Arkhangelsk

• Severodvinsk180.0° · 35 km
• Petrozavodsk172.1° · 437 km
• Murmansk171.5° · 590 km
• Vologda180.1° · 593 km
• Syktyvkar195.7° · 607 km
• Cherepovets177.1° · 618 km