Iowa City Qibla Direction & Angle

Qibla without a compass: the sun and its shadow

Twice a year the sun stands directly above the Kaaba. At that moment, anywhere the sun is up, the shadow of an upright object points exactly away from the qibla — no compass, no magnetic correction, no phone needed.

• May 28, 2027: the sun is 12° below the horizon here at that moment, so this method does not work in this city.
• July 16, 2027: the sun is 13° below the horizon here at that moment, so this method does not work in this city.

When the sun crosses the qibla line through the year

The 15th of each month, local time. At times marked ★ the sun is opposite the qibla, so the shadow points to it; otherwise the sun itself stands in the qibla direction. “—” means the sun does not cross the qibla line high enough that month.