Qibla · Jujuy Province
Qibla direction in San Salvador de Jujuy
To face the Kaaba in San Salvador de Jujuy, turn to 75.4° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (14.6° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 12,430 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in San Salvador de Jujuy should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of San Salvador de Jujuy as a needle at 75.4°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 75°. 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 San Salvador de Jujuy
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 14.6° towards north: the result is the bearing of 75.4°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 15° 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 San Salvador de Jujuy, 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 San Salvador de Jujuy to Mecca points to 66.0° (north-east), 9.5° away from the correct 75.4°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 22 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 75.4° is the direction in which the shortest route from 24.1928° S, 65.2934° 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 San Salvador de Jujuy to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 12,430 km from San Salvador de Jujuy as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 12,514 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 15 h 07 min, although most pilgrims from San Salvador de Jujuy connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in San Salvador de Jujuy 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 San Salvador de Jujuy rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in San Salvador de Jujuy
On 240 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of San Salvador de Jujuy 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 13:06 local time.
On 97 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 18:03.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | 13:06 | 18:03 |
| 15 January 2027 | 12:46 | 18:35 |
| 1 February 2027 | 12:05 | 19:24 |
| 15 February 2027 | 11:24 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 10:41 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:56 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 09:00 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 08:15 | — |
| 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 | 08:27 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 09:03 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 09:45 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 10:22 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 11:10 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 11:51 | 18:38 |
| 1 December 2027 | 12:35 | 18:04 |
| 15 December 2027 | 13:02 | 17:50 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in San Salvador de Jujuy (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 San Salvador de Jujuy points straight to Mecca.
San Salvador de Jujuy compared with other cities
Compared with Buenos Aires, 1,337 km away, the Qibla in San Salvador de Jujuy is turned 0.8° further anticlockwise (75.4° against 76.3°), and Mecca is 369 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Salta (69 km), prays towards 75.7°, a difference of 0.3°.
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 San Salvador de Jujuy
- Salta75.7° · 69 km
- San Miguel de Tucumán76.4° · 292 km
- Santiago del Estero76.5° · 414 km
- Catamarca77.3° · 478 km
- La Rioja78.2° · 601 km
- Resistencia74.3° · 728 km
Qibla in San Salvador de Jujuy: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in San Salvador de Jujuy?
It is 75.4° from true north, which is east: 14.6° north of east.
How far is San Salvador de Jujuy from Mecca?
12,430 km in a straight line over the globe, and 12,514 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in San Salvador de Jujuy?
On 240 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 San Salvador de Jujuy not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 66.0°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves San Salvador de Jujuy at 75.4°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 75.4° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.