Qibla · North Kalimantan
Qibla direction in Tarakan
To face the Kaaba in Tarakan, turn to 291.2° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (21.2° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 8,607 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Tarakan should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Tarakan as a needle at 291.2°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 291°. 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 Tarakan
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 21.2° towards north: the result is the bearing of 291.2°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west 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 Tarakan, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Tarakan 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 Tarakan to Mecca points to 283.5° (west), 7.8° away from the correct 291.2°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 38 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 291.2° is the direction in which the shortest route from 3.3133° N, 117.5915° E 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 Tarakan to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 8,607 km from Tarakan as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 8,639 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 10 h 38 min, although most pilgrims from Tarakan connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Tarakan run 5 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Tarakan rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Tarakan
On 120 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Tarakan while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in August (31 days); for example, on 1 April 2027 it happens at 12:25 local time.
On 145 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 October (31 days), for instance on 1 February 2027 at 08:21.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | — |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 08:21 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 09:29 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 10:28 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 11:22 |
| 1 April 2027 | 12:25 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 13:19 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 14:25 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 15:33 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | — | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 15:26 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 14:19 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 13:04 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 12:03 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 10:54 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 09:54 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 08:38 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 07:30 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | — |
| 15 December 2027 | — | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Tarakan: at 17:18 and 17:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Tarakan compared with other cities
Compared with Jakarta, 1,596 km away, the Qibla in Tarakan is turned 3.9° further anticlockwise (291.2° against 295.2°), and Mecca is 687 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Bontang (354 km), prays towards 291.9°, a difference of 0.6°.
Across the 140 cities in Indonesia on this site, the Qibla ranges from 290.2° in Merauke to 295.5° in Pelabuhanratu, a spread of 5.3°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Indonesia.
Qibla in cities near Tarakan
- Bontang291.9° · 354 km
- Samarinda292.0° · 426 km
- Toli-Toli291.5° · 439 km
- Nusantara Capital City292.1° · 487 km
- Balikpapan292.2° · 516 km
- Palu291.9° · 533 km
Qibla in Tarakan: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Tarakan?
It is 291.2° from true north, which is west: 21.2° north of west.
How far is Tarakan from Mecca?
8,607 km in a straight line over the globe, and 8,639 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Tarakan?
On 120 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 Tarakan not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 283.5°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Tarakan at 291.2°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 291.2° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.