Qibla · Paraíba
Qibla direction in Campina Grande
To face the Kaaba in Campina Grande, turn to 66.6° measured clockwise from true north, which is north-east (23.4° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 8,841 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Campina Grande should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Campina Grande as a needle at 66.6°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 67°. 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 Campina Grande
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 23.4° towards north: the result is the bearing of 66.6°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 23° 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 Campina Grande, 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 Campina Grande to Mecca points to 68.9° (east), 2.4° away from the correct 66.6°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 15 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 66.6° is the direction in which the shortest route from 7.2306° S, 35.8811° 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 Campina Grande to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 8,841 km from Campina Grande as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 8,893 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 10 h 54 min, although most pilgrims from Campina Grande connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Campina Grande 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 Campina Grande rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Campina Grande
On 191 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Campina Grande while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 15 March 2027 it happens at 10:46 local time.
On 141 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 14:57.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | 14:57 |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 14:19 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 13:22 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 12:31 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 11:39 |
| 15 March 2027 | 10:46 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 09:42 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 08:50 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 07:51 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 07:01 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 06:05 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 06:25 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 07:23 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 08:10 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 09:05 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 09:48 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 10:37 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 11:22 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 12:21 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 13:13 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 14:14 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | 14:58 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Campina Grande: at 06:18 and 06:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Campina Grande compared with other cities
Compared with Brasília, 1,620 km away, the Qibla in Campina Grande is turned 2.2° further anticlockwise (66.6° against 68.8°), and Mecca is 1,576 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Santa Cruz do Capibaribe (88 km), prays towards 66.5°, a difference of 0.1°.
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 Campina Grande
- Santa Cruz do Capibaribe66.5° · 88 km
- João Pessoa66.4° · 113 km
- Caruaru66.4° · 118 km
- Vitória de Santo Antão66.3° · 118 km
- Igarassu66.2° · 127 km
- Jaboatão dos Guararapes66.2° · 137 km
Qibla in Campina Grande: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Campina Grande?
It is 66.6° from true north, which is north-east: 23.4° north of east.
How far is Campina Grande from Mecca?
8,841 km in a straight line over the globe, and 8,893 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Campina Grande?
On 191 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 66.6° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.