Qibla · Tekirdağ Province
Qibla direction in Çorlu
To face the Kaaba in Çorlu, turn to 149.1° measured clockwise from true north, which is south-east (30.9° east of south). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 2,469 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Çorlu should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Çorlu as a needle at 149.1°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 149°. 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 Çorlu
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards south and move a further 30.9° towards east: the result is the bearing of 149.1°. Because the angle sits far from the cardinal points, a rough guess such as “south” would be off by more than 30°, which is why a measured bearing matters in Çorlu.
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 Çorlu, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Çorlu 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 Çorlu to Mecca points to 152.7° (south-east), 3.6° away from the correct 149.1°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 1 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 149.1° is the direction in which the shortest route from 41.1607° N, 27.8009° 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 Çorlu to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 2,469 km from Çorlu as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 2,155 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 3 h 24 min, although most pilgrims from Çorlu connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Çorlu 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 Çorlu rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Çorlu
On 365 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Çorlu 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 11:05 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Çorlu 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 | 11:05 | — |
| 15 January 2027 | 11:15 | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 11:35 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 11:42 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 11:48 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 11:54 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 11:59 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 12:06 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 12:12 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 12:20 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 12:25 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 12:28 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 12:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 12:21 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 12:12 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 11:57 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 11:43 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 11:14 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 11:02 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 10:55 | — |
| 1 December 2027 | 10:53 | — |
| 15 December 2027 | 10:56 | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Çorlu: at 12:18 and 12:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Çorlu compared with other cities
Compared with Ankara, 449 km away, the Qibla in Çorlu is turned 11.0° further anticlockwise (149.1° against 160.1°), and Mecca is 308 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Tekirdağ (32 km), prays towards 148.2°, a difference of 0.9°.
Across the 85 cities in Türkiye on this site, the Qibla ranges from 143.7° in Izmir to 192.2° in Iğdır, a spread of 48.6°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Türkiye.
Qibla in cities near Çorlu
Qibla in Çorlu: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Çorlu?
It is 149.1° from true north, which is south-east: 30.9° east of south.
How far is Çorlu from Mecca?
2,469 km in a straight line over the globe, and 2,155 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Çorlu?
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.
Why is the Qibla in Çorlu not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 152.7°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Çorlu at 149.1°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 149.1° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.
