القبلة · The direction of the Kaaba
Leicester prayer times: the Qibla direction
Qibla direction from Leicester: 119° from true north (east-south-east, ESE). The Kaaba in Makkah is 4,915 km (3,054 miles) away along the shortest path over the Earth.
- Bearing
- 119°
- Distance
- 4,915 km
Facing the Qibla in Leicester without an app
- Face north. A magnetic compass in the UK points within about two degrees of true north, close enough to use as it is.
- Turn clockwise by 119°. That points you east-south-east.
- Check it by the sunrise. On about 29 January and 12 November the sun rises almost exactly on the Qibla line from Leicester.
- Why not south-east? The direction follows the great circle, the shortest route over the globe, so it differs from a line on a flat map. It is worked out for central Leicester (52.6362, -1.1332); anywhere in the city it changes by far less than a degree.
Marking the Qibla in a Leicester home
Leicester’s spring and summer mornings give you a second chance. If you miss the sunrise dates on this page, the sun itself stands on the Qibla line later in the morning: at about 09:49 on 15 April and about 10:05 on 15 August. Turn towards it then, without looking straight at it, and you face the Qibla.
Note what sits in that direction from your window, a roofline, a tree or a tower block, and mark the line indoors for good.
Planning ahead? DonateOpenly has Leicester’s Ramadan timetable for 2027. See the top 10 Muslim charities in the UK by DonateOpenly’s score.