Qibla · Bryansk Oblast
Qibla direction in Bryansk
To face the Kaaba in Bryansk, turn to 170.3° measured clockwise from true north, which is south (9.7° east of south). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 3,572 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Bryansk should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Bryansk as a needle at 170.3°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 170°. 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 Bryansk
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards south and move a further 9.7° towards east: the result is the bearing of 170.3°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at south 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 Bryansk, 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 Bryansk to Mecca points to 172.4° (south), 2.1° away from the correct 170.3°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is not 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 170.3° is the direction in which the shortest route from 53.2710° N, 34.3214° 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 Bryansk to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 3,572 km from Bryansk as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,233 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 4 h 42 min, although most pilgrims from Bryansk connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Bryansk 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 Bryansk rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Bryansk
On 365 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Bryansk 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 12:05 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Bryansk 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 | 12:05 | — |
| 15 January 2027 | 12:12 | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 12:18 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 12:21 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 12:21 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 12:20 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 12:17 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 12:16 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 12:15 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 12:16 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 12:19 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 12:22 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 12:25 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 12:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 12:26 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 12:22 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 12:15 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 12:08 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 12:00 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 11:54 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 11:49 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 11:48 | — |
| 1 December 2027 | 11:51 | — |
| 15 December 2027 | 11:57 | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Bryansk: at 12:18 and 12:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Bryansk compared with other cities
Compared with Moscow, 348 km away, the Qibla in Bryansk is turned 6.0° further anticlockwise (170.3° against 176.4°), and Mecca is 249 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Oryol (122 km), prays towards 173.3°, a difference of 3.0°.
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 Bryansk
Qibla in Bryansk: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Bryansk?
It is 170.3° from true north, which is south: 9.7° east of south.
How far is Bryansk from Mecca?
3,572 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,233 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Bryansk?
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.
Is the Qibla the same everywhere in Russia?
No. It ranges from 148.7° to 305.3° across the country, so each city has its own bearing.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 170.3° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.