Qibla · South Sulawesi
Qibla direction in Makassar
To face the Kaaba in Makassar, turn to 292.5° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (22.5° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 9,148 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Makassar should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Makassar as a needle at 292.5°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 292°. 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 Makassar
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 22.5° towards north: the result is the bearing of 292.5°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 22° 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 Makassar, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Makassar 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 Makassar to Mecca points to 288.8° (west), 3.7° away from the correct 292.5°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 21 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 292.5° is the direction in which the shortest route from 5.1486° S, 119.4319° 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 Makassar to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 9,148 km from Makassar as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 9,222 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 11 h 16 min, although most pilgrims from Makassar connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Makassar 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 Makassar rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Makassar
On 170 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Makassar 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 15 March 2027 it happens at 12:39 local time.
On 131 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 (30 days), for instance on 15 January 2027 at 08:37.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 08:37 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 09:58 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 10:56 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 11:50 |
| 15 March 2027 | 12:39 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 13:38 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 14:26 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 15:25 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 16:21 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 17:30 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 16:18 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 15:21 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 14:12 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 13:16 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 12:12 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 11:16 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 10:07 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 09:10 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 08:02 |
| 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 Makassar: at 17:18 and 17:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Makassar compared with other cities
Compared with Jakarta, 1,398 km away, the Qibla in Makassar is turned 2.7° further anticlockwise (292.5° against 295.2°), and Mecca is 1,228 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Watampone (120 km), prays towards 292.3°, a difference of 0.2°.
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 Makassar
Qibla in Makassar: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Makassar?
It is 292.5° from true north, which is west: 22.5° north of west.
How far is Makassar from Mecca?
9,148 km in a straight line over the globe, and 9,222 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Makassar?
On 170 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 Makassar not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 288.8°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Makassar at 292.5°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 292.5° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.