Qibla · Acre
Qibla direction in Rio Branco
To face the Kaaba in Rio Branco, turn to 70.7° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (19.3° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 12,225 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Rio Branco should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Rio Branco as a needle at 70.7°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 71°. 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 Rio Branco
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 19.3° towards north: the result is the bearing of 70.7°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 19° 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 Rio Branco, 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 Rio Branco to Mecca points to 73.5° (east), 2.8° away from the correct 70.7°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 39 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 70.7° is the direction in which the shortest route from 9.9747° S, 67.8100° 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 Rio Branco to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 12,225 km from Rio Branco as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 12,219 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 14 h 53 min, although most pilgrims from Rio Branco connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Rio Branco run 8 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Rio Branco rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Rio Branco
On 158 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Rio Branco 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 11:16 local time.
On 84 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 November (29 days), for instance on 15 January 2027 at 14:59.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 14:59 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 13:21 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 12:17 |
| 1 March 2027 | 11:16 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 10:16 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 09:03 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 08:03 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 06:52 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | — | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | — | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 06:13 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 07:15 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 08:21 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 09:11 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 10:09 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 11:01 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 12:12 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 13:22 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | — |
| 15 December 2027 | — | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Rio Branco (04:18 and 04:27 local time), so they cannot be used here. Instead, on 13 January 2027 at 16:29 and 28 November 2027 at 16:09 the sun is over the point opposite the Kaaba, and every vertical shadow in Rio Branco points straight to Mecca.
Rio Branco compared with other cities
Compared with Brasília, 2,248 km away, the Qibla in Rio Branco is turned 1.9° further clockwise (70.7° against 68.8°), and Mecca is 1,808 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Porto Velho (449 km), prays towards 70.1°, a difference of 0.6°.
Across the 257 cities in Brazil on this site, the Qibla ranges from 66.1° in Maceió to 74.2° in Uruguaiana, a spread of 8.1°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Brazil.
Qibla in cities near Rio Branco
- Porto Velho70.1° · 449 km
- Ji Paraná70.5° · 649 km
- Vilhena70.7° · 890 km
- Manacapuru68.8° · 1,087 km
- Manaus68.8° · 1,150 km
- Tangará da Serra70.7° · 1,234 km
Qibla in Rio Branco: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Rio Branco?
It is 70.7° from true north, which is east: 19.3° north of east.
How far is Rio Branco from Mecca?
12,225 km in a straight line over the globe, and 12,219 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Rio Branco?
On 158 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.
Is the Qibla the same everywhere in Brazil?
No. It ranges from 66.1° to 74.2° across the country, so each city has its own bearing.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 70.7° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.