Qibla · Central Region
Qibla direction in Katabi
To face the Kaaba in Katabi, turn to 18.1° measured clockwise from true north, which is north (18.1° east of north). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 2,503 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Katabi should follow.
Line up the top of your phone or compass with the green needle: it marks 18.1°, the Qibla of Katabi. Phone compasses usually display true north, so a reading of 18° 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 Katabi
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards north and move a further 18.1° towards east: the result is the bearing of 18.1°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at north would leave you about 18° 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 Katabi, 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
On a flat (Mercator) map, the straight line from Katabi to Mecca points to 18.6°, only 0.5° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 18.1° bearing remains the exact one.
How is the figure of 18.1° obtained? From the coordinates of Katabi (0.0841° N, 32.4697° 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 Katabi to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 2,503 km from Katabi as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 2,818 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 3 h 27 min, although most pilgrims from Katabi connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Katabi 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 Katabi rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Katabi
On 186 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Katabi 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 12:48 local time.
On 179 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 13:26.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | 13:26 |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 13:29 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 13:27 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 13:21 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 13:13 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 13:02 |
| 1 April 2027 | 12:48 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 12:37 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 12:27 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 12:21 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 12:18 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 12:18 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 12:22 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 12:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 12:32 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 12:36 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 12:39 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 12:42 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 12:44 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 12:47 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 12:53 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 13:00 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 13:09 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | 13:18 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Katabi: at 12:18 and 12:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Katabi compared with other cities
The Qibla here is practically the same as in Kampala (18.1°), and Mecca is 28 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Kampala (29 km), prays towards 18.1°, a difference of 0.1°.
Across the 16 cities in Uganda on this site, the Qibla ranges from 14.8° in Mbale to 23.5° in Kasese, a spread of 8.7°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Uganda.
Qibla in cities near Katabi
Qibla in Katabi: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Katabi?
It is 18.1° from true north, which is north: 18.1° east of north.
How far is Katabi from Mecca?
2,503 km in a straight line over the globe, and 2,818 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Katabi?
On 186 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 Uganda?
No. It ranges from 14.8° to 23.5° across the country, so each city has its own bearing.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 18.1° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.