Qibla · Rio de Janeiro
Qibla direction in Barra do Piraí
To face the Kaaba in Barra do Piraí, turn to 67.8° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (22.2° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 10,291 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Barra do Piraí should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Barra do Piraí as a needle at 67.8°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 68°. 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 Barra do Piraí
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 22.2° towards north: the result is the bearing of 67.8°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 22° 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 Barra do Piraí, 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 Barra do Piraí to Mecca points to 61.7° (north-east), 6.1° away from the correct 67.8°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 10 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 67.8° is the direction in which the shortest route from 22.4700° S, 43.8256° 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 Barra do Piraí to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 10,291 km from Barra do Piraí as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 10,404 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 12 h 36 min, although most pilgrims from Barra do Piraí connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Barra do Piraí 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 Barra do Piraí rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Barra do Piraí
On 260 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Barra do Piraí 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 15 January 2027 it happens at 11:51 local time.
On 42 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 December (31 days), for instance on 1 January 2027 at 12:04.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | 12:04 |
| 15 January 2027 | 11:51 | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 11:18 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 10:44 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 10:06 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:26 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 08:36 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 07:56 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 07:14 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 06:41 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | — | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 06:59 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 07:29 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 08:07 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 08:38 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 09:14 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:46 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 10:27 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 11:02 | — |
| 1 December 2027 | 11:37 | 18:05 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | 11:59 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Barra do Piraí (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 Barra do Piraí points straight to Mecca.
Barra do Piraí compared with other cities
Compared with Brasília, 860 km away, the Qibla in Barra do Piraí is turned 0.9° further anticlockwise (67.8° against 68.8°), and Mecca is 126 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Volta Redonda (29 km), prays towards 67.9°, 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 Barra do Piraí
- Volta Redonda67.9° · 29 km
- Queimados67.7° · 39 km
- Itaguaí67.8° · 43 km
- Duque de Caxias67.7° · 63 km
- Resende68.1° · 64 km
- Petrópolis67.6° · 67 km
Qibla in Barra do Piraí: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Barra do Piraí?
It is 67.8° from true north, which is east: 22.2° north of east.
How far is Barra do Piraí from Mecca?
10,291 km in a straight line over the globe, and 10,404 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Barra do Piraí?
On 260 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 Barra do Piraí not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 61.7°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Barra do Piraí at 67.8°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 67.8° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.