Qibla · Jeollanam-do
Qibla direction in Gwangyang
To face the Kaaba in Gwangyang, turn to 286.7° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (16.7° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 8,479 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Gwangyang should follow.
Line up the top of your phone or compass with the green needle: it marks 286.7°, the Qibla of Gwangyang. 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 Gwangyang
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 Gwangyang, 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 Gwangyang to Mecca points to 260.1° (west), a full 26.7° away from the true Qibla of 286.7° (west). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 232 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Gwangyang first heads west, and that is the direction to face.
How is the figure of 286.7° obtained? From the coordinates of Gwangyang (34.9414° N, 127.6957° 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 Gwangyang to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 8,479 km from Gwangyang as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 8,318 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 10 h 29 min, although most pilgrims from Gwangyang connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Gwangyang 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 Gwangyang rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Gwangyang
On 94 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Gwangyang while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in July (31 days); for example, on 15 May 2027 it happens at 18:34 local time.
On 247 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 07:53.
| 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 | — | 07:53 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 08:17 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 08:46 |
| 15 April 2027 | — | 09:10 |
| 1 May 2027 | — | 09:36 |
| 15 May 2027 | 18:34 | 09:58 |
| 1 June 2027 | 18:14 | 10:21 |
| 15 June 2027 | 18:08 | 10:33 |
| 1 July 2027 | 18:13 | 10:35 |
| 15 July 2027 | 18:26 | 10:26 |
| 1 August 2027 | 18:49 | 10:04 |
| 15 August 2027 | — | 09:39 |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 09:04 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 08:32 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 07:55 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 07:23 |
| 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 Gwangyang: at 18:18 and 18:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Gwangyang compared with other cities
Compared with Seoul, 299 km away, the Qibla in Gwangyang is turned 1.0° further clockwise (286.7° against 285.7°), and Mecca is 143 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Suncheon (19 km), prays towards 286.6°, a difference of 0.1°.
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 Gwangyang
Qibla in Gwangyang: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Gwangyang?
It is 286.7° from true north, which is west: 16.7° north of west.
How far is Gwangyang from Mecca?
8,479 km in a straight line over the globe, and 8,318 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Gwangyang?
On 94 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 Gwangyang not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 260.1°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Gwangyang 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.