Qibla direction in Chillan

How to face the Qibla in Chillan

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 5.7° towards north: the result is the bearing of 84.3°. The direction is close to due east, which makes it easy to remember.

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 Chillan, 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

This is a place where maps mislead badly: a straight line on a flat map from Chillan to Mecca points to 61.3° (north-east), a full 23.0° away from the true Qibla of 84.3° (east). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 108 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Chillan first heads east, and that is the direction to face.

The value of 84.3° is the direction in which the shortest route from 36.6066° S, 72.1034° 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 Chillan to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 13,321 km from Chillan as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 13,472 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 16 h 10 min, although most pilgrims from Chillan connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Chillan run 6 hours behind Mecca in winter and 7 hours behind Mecca in summer, because of daylight saving time. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Chillan rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Chillan

On 192 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Chillan 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 10:47 local time.

On 142 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 18:13.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Chillan (05:18 and 05:27 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 Chillan points straight to Mecca.

Chillan compared with other cities

Compared with Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan, Chile, 374 km away, the Qibla in Chillan is turned 2.5° further clockwise (84.3° against 81.8°), and Mecca is 174 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Concepción (88 km), prays towards 85.0°, a difference of 0.7°.

Across the 24 cities in Chile on this site, the Qibla ranges from 74.3° in Arica to 92.9° in Punta Arenas, a spread of 18.6°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Chile.

Qibla in cities near Chillan

• Concepción85.0° · 88 km
• Villa Mercedes84.7° · 89 km
• Los Ángeles85.0° · 99 km
• Coronel85.1° · 104 km
• Talca83.4° · 138 km
• Curicó83.0° · 197 km