Qibla direction in Bedford
119.19° from true north · south-east · 4,848 km to the Kaaba
Qibla direction in Bedford
The qibla from Bedford is 119.19° from true north, towards the south-east. Simply face east and turn 29° to the right. Bedford is about 4,848 km from the Kaaba. Without a compass, use the sun: on 28 May 2027 at 10:18 BST it stands directly above the Kaaba, so facing the sun means facing the qibla.
119.19°
Gold arc = 29° from east to the qibla
Three ways to face the qibla from Bedford
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1. Phone compass
Open a compass app, move the phone in a figure of 8 to calibrate, keep it away from metal, then turn until the compass reads 119°.
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2. Start from east
Face east, then turn 29° to the right. A right angle is 90°, so 29° is about a third of a right angle.
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3. The sun's shadow
Twice a year the sun is directly above the Kaaba. At that moment the shadow of any upright object points directly away from the qibla.
Sun over the Kaaba, 2027
- · 10:18 BST
- · 10:27 BST
Keeping the compass accurate
- Remove magnetic cases and keep the phone away from laptops, speakers and steel frames.
- Hold the phone flat. A compass points to magnetic north, while the degrees on this page are measured from true north, so the reading can differ slightly.
- Compare with the direction of the rows in a nearby mosque.
Qibla direction in nearby cities
| City | Distance from Bedford | Qibla |
|---|---|---|
| Kempston | 3 km | 119.1° |
| Kempston Hardwick | 5 km | 119.1° |
| Ampthill | 12 km | 119.1° |
| Biggleswade | 15 km | 119.4° |
| Saint Neots | 16 km | 119.5° |
| Newport Pagnell | 18 km | 118.9° |
| Rushden | 20 km | 119.2° |
Around Bedford the qibla is almost the same: it differs by 0.3° at most.
Frequently asked questions
What is the qibla direction from Bedford in degrees?
119.19° from true north, measured clockwise — towards the south-east.
How can I find the qibla without a compass?
Face east and turn 29° to the right. More precisely, when the sun is directly above the Kaaba the qibla is the direction towards the sun.
When is the sun over the Kaaba in 2027, in Bedford time?
28 May 2027 at 10:18 BST and 16 July 2027 at 10:27 BST.
What is the difference between true north and compass north?
True north points to the geographic North Pole. A compass needle points to the magnetic pole, which is in a slightly different place, so a compass reading can differ from the degrees on this page.
Do I need to share my location to see the qibla?
No. The qibla on this page is calculated from the coordinates of the centre of Bedford, so you only need to pick a city.
Sources & method
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Kaaba coordinates · 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E
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Bedford coordinates · 52.1346; -0.4663 (city centre) · GeoNames (geonames.org), CC BY 4.0
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Formula · Great-circle azimuth from true north