Qibla · Corrientes Province
Qibla direction in Corrientes
To face the Kaaba in Corrientes, turn to 74.3° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (15.7° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 11,901 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Corrientes should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Corrientes as a needle at 74.3°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 74°. A traditional magnetic compass also works, provided you allow for the local difference between magnetic and true north.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Corrientes
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 15.7° towards north: the result is the bearing of 74.3°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 16° off.
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 Corrientes, 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
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Corrientes to Mecca points to 62.9° (north-east), 11.4° away from the correct 74.3°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 26 km longer than the true shortest route. The Qibla follows the great circle, the shortest path on the curved Earth, which is why the bearing differs.
The value of 74.3° is the direction in which the shortest route from 27.4678° S, 58.8344° W 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 Corrientes to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 11,901 km from Corrientes as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 12,013 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 14 h 30 min, although most pilgrims from Corrientes connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Corrientes run 6 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Corrientes rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Corrientes
On 245 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Corrientes while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in January (31 days); for example, on 1 January 2027 it happens at 12:01 local time.
On 93 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 18:08.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | 12:01 | 18:08 |
| 15 January 2027 | 11:48 | 18:34 |
| 1 February 2027 | 11:16 | 19:14 |
| 15 February 2027 | 10:42 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 10:04 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:24 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 08:35 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 07:56 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | — | — |
| 15 May 2027 | — | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | — | — |
| 1 August 2027 | — | — |
| 15 August 2027 | — | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 08:06 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 08:37 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 09:12 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:44 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 10:25 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 10:59 | 18:32 |
| 1 December 2027 | 11:34 | 18:05 |
| 15 December 2027 | 11:56 | 17:56 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Corrientes (06:18 and 06:27 local time), so they cannot be used here. Instead, on 13 January 2027 at 18:29 and 28 November 2027 at 18:09 the sun is over the point opposite the Kaaba, and every vertical shadow in Corrientes points straight to Mecca.
Corrientes compared with other cities
Compared with Buenos Aires, 796 km away, the Qibla in Corrientes is turned 2.0° further anticlockwise (74.3° against 76.3°), and Mecca is 160 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Resistencia (15 km), prays towards 74.3°, a difference of 0.1°.
Across the 34 cities in Argentina on this site, the Qibla ranges from 73.1° in Posadas to 86.4° in Comodoro Rivadavia, a spread of 13.3°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Argentina.
Qibla in cities near Corrientes
- Resistencia74.3° · 15 km
- Formosa, Formosa Province, Argentina73.6° · 157 km
- Ituzaingo73.5° · 212 km
- Posadas73.1° · 287 km
- Concordia75.1° · 443 km
- Santa Fe76.4° · 499 km
Qibla in Corrientes: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Corrientes?
It is 74.3° from true north, which is east: 15.7° north of east.
How far is Corrientes from Mecca?
11,901 km in a straight line over the globe, and 12,013 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Corrientes?
On 245 days of 2027 the sun stands in the Qibla direction; the table on this page gives the exact time for the 1st and 15th of each month.
Why is the Qibla in Corrientes not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 62.9°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Corrientes at 74.3°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 74.3° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.