Qibla direction in Cap-Haïtien

How to face the Qibla in Cap-Haïtien

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 28.1° towards north: the result is the bearing of 61.9°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 28° 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 Cap-Haïtien, 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 Cap-Haïtien to Mecca points to 89.1° (east), a full 27.2° away from the true Qibla of 61.9° (north-east). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 338 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Cap-Haïtien first heads north-east, and that is the direction to face.

The value of 61.9° is the direction in which the shortest route from 19.7594° N, 72.1982° 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 Cap-Haïtien to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 11,323 km from Cap-Haïtien as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 11,149 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 13 h 49 min, although most pilgrims from Cap-Haïtien connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Cap-Haïtien run 8 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 Cap-Haïtien rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Cap-Haïtien

On 67 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Cap-Haïtien while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in June (30 days); for example, on 1 June 2027 it happens at 12:27 local time.

On 298 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 16:38.

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

Cap-Haïtien compared with other cities

The Qibla here is practically the same as in Port-au-Prince (62.0°), and Mecca is 77 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Dessalines (65 km), prays towards 61.8°, the same bearing to the tenth of a degree.

Across the 10 cities in Haiti on this site, the Qibla ranges from 61.5° in Les Cayes to 62.0° in Port-au-Prince, a spread of 0.5°. The difference is small, yet each city should still use its own bearing.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Haiti.

Qibla in cities near Cap-Haïtien

• Dessalines61.8° · 65 km
• Port-de-Paix61.5° · 69 km
• Saint-Marc61.8° · 89 km
• Arcahaie61.9° · 115 km
• Port-au-Prince62.0° · 136 km
• Léogâne61.9° · 146 km