Qibla direction in Viana

How to face the Qibla in Viana

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards north and move a further 40.2° towards east: the result is the bearing of 40.2°. Because the angle sits far from the cardinal points, a rough guess such as “north” would be off by more than 40°, which is why a measured bearing matters in Viana.

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 Viana, 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 Viana to Mecca points to 40.6°, only 0.3° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 40.2° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 40.2° is the direction in which the shortest route from 8.9055° S, 13.3750° 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 Viana to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 4,440 km from Viana as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 4,677 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 43 min, although most pilgrims from Viana connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Viana 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 Viana rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Viana

On 233 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Viana 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 12:14 local time.

On 132 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 13:02.

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

Viana compared with other cities

The Qibla here is practically the same as in Luanda (40.4°), and Mecca is 4 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Luanda (17 km), prays towards 40.4°, a difference of 0.2°.

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 Viana

• Luanda40.4° · 17 km
• Panguíla40.3° · 25 km
• Calumbo40.0° · 27 km
• Ramiros40.5° · 40 km
• N'dalatando38.3° · 174 km
• Uíge39.4° · 235 km