Qibla · Yaroslavl Oblast

Qibla direction in Rybinsk

To face the Kaaba in Rybinsk, turn to 178.5° measured clockwise from true north, which is south (1.5° east of south). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,073 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Rybinsk should follow.

The compass rose shows the Qibla of Rybinsk as a needle at 178.5°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 178°. 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 Rybinsk

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards south and move a further 1.5° towards east: the result is the bearing of 178.5°. 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 Rybinsk, 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 Rybinsk to Mecca points to 178.9°, only 0.4° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 178.5° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 178.5° is the direction in which the shortest route from 58.0456° N, 38.8381° 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 Rybinsk to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 4,073 km from Rybinsk as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,734 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 18 min, although most pilgrims from Rybinsk connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Rybinsk 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 Rybinsk rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Rybinsk

On 365 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Rybinsk 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 12:21 local time.

The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Rybinsk during daylight, so the shadow method does not apply here; the left-hand column is the one to use.

Sun in the Qibla direction in Rybinsk, 2027 (local time, 24-hour clock). — means it does not happen that day.
DateSun in the Qibla direction (face the sun)Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla)
1 January 202712:21—
15 January 202712:27—
1 February 202712:32—
15 February 202712:33—
1 March 202712:31—
15 March 202712:28—
1 April 202712:24—
15 April 202712:20—
1 May 202712:17—
15 May 202712:17—
1 June 202712:19—
15 June 202712:21—
1 July 202712:25—
15 July 202712:27—
1 August 202712:27—
15 August 202712:25—
1 September 202712:20—
15 September 202712:15—
1 October 202712:09—
15 October 202712:05—
1 November 202712:02—
15 November 202712:03—
1 December 202712:07—
15 December 202712:13—

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Rybinsk: at 12:18 and 12:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.

Rybinsk compared with other cities

Compared with Moscow, 266 km away, the Qibla in Rybinsk is turned 2.1° further clockwise (178.5° against 176.4°), and Mecca is 251 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Yaroslavl (77 km), prays towards 180.1°, a difference of 1.6°.

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 Rybinsk

Qibla in Rybinsk: questions and answers

What is the Qibla direction in Rybinsk?

It is 178.5° from true north, which is south: 1.5° east of south.

How far is Rybinsk from Mecca?

4,073 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,734 km to Medina.

When does the sun show the Qibla in Rybinsk?

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 178.5° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.

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