For people of the Muslim faith, knowing the qibla, or direction of prayer, is very important. This direction is toward the Ka'bah in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. There are several methods that one can use to orient themselves in the correct direction when in an unfamiliar location.
Make a sundial. Find level ground, and before noon, place a stick or other vertical object that's about 3 feet (1m) high.
Make a mark on the ground at the tip of the shadow.
Measure the length of the shadow, and draw a circle around the stick using the shadow length as the radius.
As the day progresses, the shadow will shorten and move away from the circle. It will eventually start to lengthen as the day wears on, and then touch the circle again. At that point, make another mark, and draw a line between the two marks you made. The line is west to east, with the first point being west, the second being east.
Draw a line perpendicular to the west-east line, and this is your north-south line.
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