Qibla · Rio Grande do Sul
Qibla direction in Bagé
To face the Kaaba in Bagé, turn to 73.3° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (16.7° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 11,581 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Bagé should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Bagé as a needle at 73.3°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 73°. 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 Bagé
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 16.7° towards north: the result is the bearing of 73.3°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 17° 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 Bagé, 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 Bagé to Mecca points to 59.7° (north-east), 13.6° away from the correct 73.3°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 35 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 73.3° is the direction in which the shortest route from 31.3314° S, 54.1069° 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 Bagé to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 11,581 km from Bagé as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 11,721 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 14 h 07 min, although most pilgrims from Bagé connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Bagé 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 Bagé rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Bagé
On 245 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Bagé 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 11:08 local time.
On 91 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 18:12.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | 11:08 | 18:12 |
| 15 January 2027 | 10:59 | 18:33 |
| 1 February 2027 | 10:34 | 19:07 |
| 15 February 2027 | 10:05 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 09:32 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 08:57 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 08:14 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 07:40 | — |
| 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 | 07:49 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 08:15 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 08:44 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:12 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 09:46 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 10:15 | 18:27 |
| 1 December 2027 | 10:44 | 18:06 |
| 15 December 2027 | 11:02 | 18:01 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Bagé (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 Bagé points straight to Mecca.
Bagé compared with other cities
Compared with Brasília, 1,839 km away, the Qibla in Bagé is turned 4.5° further clockwise (73.3° against 68.8°), and Mecca is 1,164 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Pelotas (174 km), prays towards 72.6°, a difference of 0.7°.
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 Bagé
- Pelotas72.6° · 174 km
- Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil72.8° · 185 km
- Rio Grande72.5° · 206 km
- Santa Cruz do Sul72.2° · 241 km
- Porto Alegre71.7° · 311 km
- Viamão71.6° · 326 km
Qibla in Bagé: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Bagé?
It is 73.3° from true north, which is east: 16.7° north of east.
How far is Bagé from Mecca?
11,581 km in a straight line over the globe, and 11,721 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Bagé?
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 Bagé not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 59.7°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Bagé at 73.3°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 73.3° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.