Qibla direction in Elektrostal

How to face the Qibla in Elektrostal

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards south and move a further 2.3° towards east: the result is the bearing of 177.7°. 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 Elektrostal, 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 Elektrostal to Mecca points to 178.3°, only 0.5° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 177.7° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 177.7° is the direction in which the shortest route from 55.7865° N, 38.4571° 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 Elektrostal to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 3,823 km from Elektrostal as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,484 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h, although most pilgrims from Elektrostal connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Elektrostal 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 Elektrostal rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Elektrostal

On 365 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Elektrostal 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 12:20 local time.

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

Elektrostal compared with other cities

Compared with Moscow, 53 km away, the Qibla in Elektrostal is turned 1.4° further clockwise (177.7° against 176.4°), and Mecca is 1 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Orekhovo-Zuyevo (34 km), prays towards 178.6°, a difference of 0.9°.

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 Elektrostal

• Orekhovo-Zuyevo178.6° · 34 km
• Shchyolkovo177.0° · 34 km
• Lyubertsy176.8° · 37 km
• Mytishchi176.6° · 47 km
• Moscow176.4° · 53 km
• Sergiyev Posad177.3° · 62 km