Qibla · Skåne County
Qibla direction in Helsingborg
To face the Kaaba in Helsingborg, turn to 138.7° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (41.3° east of south). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,451 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Helsingborg should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Helsingborg as a needle at 138.7°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 139°. 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 Helsingborg
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards south and move a further 41.3° towards east: the result is the bearing of 138.7°. Because the angle sits far from the cardinal points, a rough guess such as “south” would be off by more than 40°, which is why a measured bearing matters in Helsingborg.
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 Helsingborg, 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
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Helsingborg to Mecca points to 149.5° (south-east), 10.8° away from the correct 138.7°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 17 km longer than the true shortest route. The Qibla follows the great circle, the shortest path on the curved Earth, which is why the bearing differs.
The value of 138.7° is the direction in which the shortest route from 56.0467° N, 12.6944° 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 Helsingborg to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,451 km from Helsingborg as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,133 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 44 min, although most pilgrims from Helsingborg connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Helsingborg run 2 hours behind Mecca in winter and 1 hour behind Mecca in summer, because of daylight saving time. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Helsingborg rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Helsingborg
On 324 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Helsingborg while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in March (31 days); for example, on 15 January 2027 it happens at 09:19 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Helsingborg during daylight, so the shadow method does not apply here; the left-hand column is the one to use.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | 09:19 | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 09:30 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 09:38 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 09:45 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:50 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 10:56 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 11:01 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 11:07 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:12 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:20 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:25 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:28 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:21 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:12 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 10:58 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 10:45 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 10:30 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 10:17 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 09:05 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 08:59 | — |
| 1 December 2027 | 08:57 | — |
| 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 Helsingborg: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Helsingborg compared with other cities
Compared with Stockholm, 485 km away, the Qibla in Helsingborg is turned 9.5° further anticlockwise (138.7° against 148.2°), and Mecca is 103 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Malmö (53 km), prays towards 138.8°, a difference of 0.1°.
Among the 10 cities in Sweden on this site, Helsingborg has the smallest Qibla bearing; the largest is 153.5° in Umeå. Across the country the direction varies by 14.8°.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Sweden.
Qibla in cities near Helsingborg
Qibla in Helsingborg: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Helsingborg?
It is 138.7° from true north, which is south-east: 41.3° east of south.
How far is Helsingborg from Mecca?
4,451 km in a straight line over the globe, and 4,133 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Helsingborg?
On 324 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 Helsingborg not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 149.5°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Helsingborg at 138.7°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 138.7° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.