Qibla direction in Catchiungo

How to face the Qibla in Catchiungo

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards north and move a further 34.5° towards east: the result is the bearing of 34.5°. Because the angle sits far from the cardinal points, a rough guess such as “north” would be off by more than 30°, which is why a measured bearing matters in Catchiungo.

The scholars distinguish two cases: the one who sees the Kaaba aims at the building itself, while the one who cannot see it, as anywhere in Catchiungo, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of a local mosque is a quick way to confirm the result. If you travel or move house, check the angle again, since it changes from place to place.

Why a flat map shows a different direction

On a flat (Mercator) map, the straight line from Catchiungo to Mecca points to 34.3°, only 0.2° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 34.5° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 34.5° is the direction in which the shortest route from 12.5660° S, 16.2259° E sets off towards the Kaaba at 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E. Every accurate Qibla calculator, and the plans of well-oriented mosques, arrive at the same angle for this point.

Distance from Catchiungo to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 4,574 km from Catchiungo as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,838 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 53 min, although most pilgrims from Catchiungo connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Catchiungo run 2 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Catchiungo rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Catchiungo

On 253 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Catchiungo while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in March (31 days); for example, on 1 March 2027 it happens at 11:54 local time.

On 112 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 12:30.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Catchiungo: at 10:18 and 10:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.

Catchiungo compared with other cities

Compared with Luanda, 528 km away, the Qibla in Catchiungo is turned 5.9° further anticlockwise (34.5° against 40.4°), and Mecca is 130 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Huambo (58 km), prays towards 34.9°, a difference of 0.4°.

Across the 30 cities in Angola on this site, the Qibla ranges from 30.6° in Luena to 44.2° in Cabinda, a spread of 13.6°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Angola.

Qibla in cities near Catchiungo

• Huambo34.9° · 58 km
• Caála35.1° · 79 km
• Cuito33.8° · 79 km
• Balombo36.3° · 160 km
• Bocoio36.9° · 227 km
• Gabela37.7° · 277 km