Qibla · Lower Juba
Qibla direction in Kismayo
To face the Kaaba in Kismayo, turn to 353.2° measured clockwise from true north, which is north (6.8° west of north). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 2,440 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Kismayo should follow.
On the compass the green needle points to 353.2°. If your phone shows true north, rotate until the heading reads 353°; with a classic magnetic compass, first correct for the local magnetic declination, which can shift the needle by several degrees.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Kismayo
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards north and move a further 6.8° towards west: the result is the bearing of 353.2°. The direction is close to due north, which makes it easy to remember.
Scholars agree that someone who can see the Kaaba must face it exactly, while someone far away faces its direction (jihat al-Ka‘bah) as precisely as reasonably possible. If a mosque is nearby, its mihrab and prayer lines are the easiest reference, since they were set when the building was laid out. At home, mark the direction once with tape or a small arrow so the whole family prays the same way.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
On a flat (Mercator) map, the straight line from Kismayo to Mecca points to 353.0°, only 0.2° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 353.2° bearing remains the exact one.
The angle on this page is the initial bearing of the great circle from 0.3582° S, 42.5454° E to the Kaaba (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E). It is the method used by mosque architects and by every serious Qibla calculator, and it gives one exact answer for each point on Earth.
Distance from Kismayo to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 2,440 km from Kismayo as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 2,779 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 3 h 22 min, although most pilgrims from Kismayo connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Kismayo 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 Kismayo rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Kismayo
On 188 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Kismayo while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 1 April 2027 it happens at 12:16 local time.
On 176 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in January (31 days), for instance on 1 January 2027 at 12:02.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | 12:02 |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 12:09 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 12:15 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 12:18 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 12:19 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 12:18 |
| 1 April 2027 | 12:16 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 12:15 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 12:14 | — |
| 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 | 12:25 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 12:21 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 12:14 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 12:07 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 11:58 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 11:52 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 11:47 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 11:45 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 11:48 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | 11:53 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Kismayo: at 12:18 and 12:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Kismayo compared with other cities
Compared with Mogadishu, 410 km away, the Qibla in Kismayo is turned 8.3° further clockwise (353.2° against 344.9°), and Mecca is 203 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Merca (338 km), prays towards 346.6°, a difference of 6.6°.
Among the 10 cities in Somalia on this site, Kismayo has the largest Qibla bearing; the smallest is 313.0° in El Dibir. Across the country the direction varies by 40.2°.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Somalia.
Qibla in cities near Kismayo
Qibla in Kismayo: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Kismayo?
It is 353.2° from true north, which is north: 6.8° west of north.
How far is Kismayo from Mecca?
2,440 km in a straight line over the globe, and 2,779 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Kismayo?
On 188 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 Somalia?
No. It ranges from 313.0° to 353.2° across the country, so each city has its own bearing.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 353.2° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.