Qibla direction in Riohacha

How to face the Qibla in Riohacha

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 26.6° towards north: the result is the bearing of 63.4°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 27° 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 Riohacha, 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 Riohacha to Mecca points to 84.8° (east), a full 21.4° away from the true Qibla of 63.4° (north-east). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 241 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Riohacha first heads north-east, and that is the direction to face.

The value of 63.4° is the direction in which the shortest route from 11.5444° N, 72.9072° 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 Riohacha to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 11,811 km from Riohacha as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 11,674 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 14 h 24 min, although most pilgrims from Riohacha connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Riohacha run 8 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Riohacha rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Riohacha

On 123 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Riohacha while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 1 May 2027 it happens at 11:18 local time.

On 240 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 16:44.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Riohacha (04:18 and 04:27 local time), so they cannot be used here. Instead, on 13 January 2027 at 16:29 and 28 November 2027 at 16:09 the sun is over the point opposite the Kaaba, and every vertical shadow in Riohacha points straight to Mecca.

Riohacha compared with other cities

Compared with Bogotá, 782 km away, the Qibla in Riohacha is turned 1.7° further anticlockwise (63.4° against 65.1°), and Mecca is 452 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Maicao (75 km), prays towards 63.7°, a difference of 0.3°.

Across the 45 cities in Colombia on this site, the Qibla ranges from 62.9° in Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia to 65.9° in Florencia, a spread of 3.0°. The difference is small, yet each city should still use its own bearing.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Colombia.

Qibla in cities near Riohacha

• Maicao63.7° · 75 km
• Valledupar63.6° · 126 km
• Santa Marta63.1° · 144 km
• Barranquilla62.9° · 214 km
• Sabanalarga63.0° · 242 km
• Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia62.9° · 310 km