Qibla · Rondônia
Qibla direction in Vilhena
To face the Kaaba in Vilhena, turn to 70.7° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (19.3° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 11,537 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Vilhena should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Vilhena 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 Vilhena
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 Vilhena, 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
On a flat (Mercator) map, the straight line from Vilhena to Mecca points to 70.8°, only 0.1° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 70.7° bearing remains the exact one.
The value of 70.7° is the direction in which the shortest route from 12.7406° S, 60.1458° 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 Vilhena to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 11,537 km from Vilhena as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 11,563 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 14 h 04 min, although most pilgrims from Vilhena connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Vilhena run 7 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Vilhena rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Vilhena
On 172 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Vilhena 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 February 2027 it happens at 12:13 local time.
On 90 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 15:49.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | 15:49 |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 14:22 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 13:10 |
| 15 February 2027 | 12:13 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 11:17 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 10:20 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 09:12 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 08:16 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 07:11 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | — | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | — | — |
| 1 August 2027 | — | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 07:32 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 08:32 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 09:19 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 10:12 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 11:01 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 12:06 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 13:05 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 14:25 |
| 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 Vilhena (05:18 and 05:27 local time), so they cannot be used here. Instead, on 13 January 2027 at 17:29 and 28 November 2027 at 17:09 the sun is over the point opposite the Kaaba, and every vertical shadow in Vilhena points straight to Mecca.
Vilhena compared with other cities
Compared with Brasília, 1,359 km away, the Qibla in Vilhena is turned 2.0° further clockwise (70.7° against 68.8°), and Mecca is 1,120 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Ji Paraná (285 km), prays towards 70.5°, a difference of 0.2°.
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 Vilhena
- Ji Paraná70.5° · 285 km
- Tangará da Serra70.7° · 355 km
- Sorriso70.0° · 482 km
- Sinop69.9° · 514 km
- Cuiabá70.6° · 540 km
- Porto Velho70.1° · 603 km
Qibla in Vilhena: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Vilhena?
It is 70.7° from true north, which is east: 19.3° north of east.
How far is Vilhena from Mecca?
11,537 km in a straight line over the globe, and 11,563 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Vilhena?
On 172 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.