Qibla · São Paulo
Qibla direction in Rio Claro
To face the Kaaba in Rio Claro, turn to 69.2° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (20.8° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 10,646 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Rio Claro should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Rio Claro as a needle at 69.2°. 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 Rio Claro
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 20.8° towards north: the result is the bearing of 69.2°. 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 Rio Claro, 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 Rio Claro to Mecca points to 62.8° (north-east), 6.4° away from the correct 69.2°. 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 69.2° is the direction in which the shortest route from 22.4114° S, 47.5614° 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 Rio Claro to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 10,646 km from Rio Claro as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 10,751 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 13 h 01 min, although most pilgrims from Rio Claro connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Rio Claro 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 Rio Claro rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Rio Claro
On 248 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Rio Claro 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 12:05 local time.
On 51 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 12:20.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | 12:20 |
| 15 January 2027 | 12:05 | 18:34 |
| 1 February 2027 | 11:31 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 10:55 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 10:15 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 09:33 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 08:43 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 08:01 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 07:17 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | — | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | — | — |
| 1 August 2027 | — | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 07:33 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 08:12 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 08:45 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 09:22 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:56 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 10:39 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 11:15 | — |
| 1 December 2027 | 11:53 | 18:05 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | 12:15 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Rio Claro (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 Rio Claro points straight to Mecca.
Rio Claro compared with other cities
The Qibla here is practically the same as in Brasília (68.8°), and Mecca is 229 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Araras (19 km), prays towards 69.1°, 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 Rio Claro
- Araras69.1° · 19 km
- Limeira69.1° · 24 km
- Leme69.1° · 31 km
- Piracicaba69.2° · 36 km
- Santa Bárbara d'Oeste69.1° · 41 km
- Sumaré69.1° · 55 km
Qibla in Rio Claro: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Rio Claro?
It is 69.2° from true north, which is east: 20.8° north of east.
How far is Rio Claro from Mecca?
10,646 km in a straight line over the globe, and 10,751 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Rio Claro?
On 248 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 Rio Claro not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 62.8°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Rio Claro at 69.2°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 69.2° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.