Qibla · Gangwon-do
Qibla direction in Gangneung
To face the Kaaba in Gangneung, turn to 286.7° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (16.7° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 8,491 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Gangneung should follow.
Line up the top of your phone or compass with the green needle: it marks 286.7°, the Qibla of Gangneung. Phone compasses usually display true north, so a reading of 287° is all you need; a needle compass reads magnetic north and needs the local declination added or subtracted first.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Gangneung
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 16.7° towards north: the result is the bearing of 286.7°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 17° off.
Facing the Qibla is a condition of the prayer. Whoever prays inside the Sacred Mosque faces the Kaaba itself; whoever is far away, as in Gangneung, faces its direction and makes a sincere effort to be accurate. A nearby mosque is a handy reference, because its prayer rows were aligned when it was built. Once you know the direction at home, a discreet mark on the wall saves you from checking again.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
This is a place where maps mislead badly: a straight line on a flat map from Gangneung to Mecca points to 258.0° (west), a full 28.7° away from the true Qibla of 286.7° (west). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 262 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Gangneung first heads west, and that is the direction to face.
How is the figure of 286.7° obtained? From the coordinates of Gangneung (37.7527° N, 128.8724° E) and of the Kaaba (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E), spherical trigonometry gives the starting bearing of the great circle joining them. Mosque architects and astronomical Qibla tables rely on exactly the same calculation.
Distance from Gangneung to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 8,491 km from Gangneung as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 8,313 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 10 h 29 min, although most pilgrims from Gangneung connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Gangneung run 6 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Gangneung rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Gangneung
On 103 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Gangneung 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 May 2027 it happens at 18:53 local time.
On 240 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 March (31 days), for instance on 1 March 2027 at 07:45.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | — |
| 1 February 2027 | — | — |
| 15 February 2027 | — | — |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 07:45 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 08:07 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 08:33 |
| 15 April 2027 | — | 08:54 |
| 1 May 2027 | 18:53 | 09:18 |
| 15 May 2027 | 18:32 | 09:38 |
| 1 June 2027 | 18:15 | 09:58 |
| 15 June 2027 | 18:10 | 10:09 |
| 1 July 2027 | 18:14 | 10:11 |
| 15 July 2027 | 18:26 | 10:04 |
| 1 August 2027 | 18:47 | 09:45 |
| 15 August 2027 | — | 09:22 |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 08:49 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 08:19 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 07:45 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 07:16 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | — |
| 15 November 2027 | — | — |
| 1 December 2027 | — | — |
| 15 December 2027 | — | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Gangneung: at 18:18 and 18:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Gangneung compared with other cities
Compared with Seoul, 168 km away, the Qibla in Gangneung is turned 1.0° further clockwise (286.7° against 285.7°), and Mecca is 154 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Donghae City (31 km), prays towards 286.9°, a difference of 0.2°.
Across the 47 cities in South Korea on this site, the Qibla ranges from 285.6° in Incheon to 287.4° in Gijang, a spread of 1.9°. The difference is small, yet each city should still use its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for South Korea.
Qibla in cities near Gangneung
Qibla in Gangneung: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Gangneung?
It is 286.7° from true north, which is west: 16.7° north of west.
How far is Gangneung from Mecca?
8,491 km in a straight line over the globe, and 8,313 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Gangneung?
On 103 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.
Why is the Qibla in Gangneung not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 258.0°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Gangneung at 286.7°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 286.7° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.