Qibla · São Paulo
Qibla direction in Atibaia
To face the Kaaba in Atibaia, turn to 68.9° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (21.1° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 10,577 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Atibaia should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Atibaia as a needle at 68.9°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 69°. 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 Atibaia
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 21.1° towards north: the result is the bearing of 68.9°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 21° 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 Atibaia, 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 Atibaia to Mecca points to 62.1° (north-east), 6.8° away from the correct 68.9°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 11 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 68.9° is the direction in which the shortest route from 23.1169° S, 46.5503° 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 Atibaia to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 10,577 km from Atibaia as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 10,688 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 12 h 57 min, although most pilgrims from Atibaia connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Atibaia 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 Atibaia rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Atibaia
On 264 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Atibaia 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 12:08 local time.
On 49 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 18:08.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | 12:08 | 18:08 |
| 15 January 2027 | 11:54 | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 11:21 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 10:46 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 10:08 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:27 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 08:38 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 07:58 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 07:15 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | — | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | — | — |
| 1 August 2027 | — | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 07:30 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 08:08 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 08:40 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 09:16 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:48 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 10:30 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 11:05 | — |
| 1 December 2027 | 11:41 | 18:05 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | 12:03 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Atibaia (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 Atibaia points straight to Mecca.
Atibaia compared with other cities
The Qibla here is practically the same as in Brasília (68.8°), and Mecca is 160 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Bragança Paulista (18 km), prays towards 68.9°, the same bearing to the tenth of a degree.
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 Atibaia
- Bragança Paulista68.9° · 18 km
- Mairiporã68.9° · 23 km
- Francisco Morato69.0° · 27 km
- Itatiba69.0° · 32 km
- Jundiaí69.0° · 35 km
- Jardim Presidente Dutra68.9° · 37 km
Qibla in Atibaia: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Atibaia?
It is 68.9° from true north, which is east: 21.1° north of east.
How far is Atibaia from Mecca?
10,577 km in a straight line over the globe, and 10,688 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Atibaia?
On 264 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 Atibaia not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 62.1°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Atibaia at 68.9°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 68.9° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.