Qibla · Puebla
Qibla direction in San Martin Texmelucan
To face the Kaaba in San Martin Texmelucan, turn to 47.2° measured clockwise from true north, which is north-east (42.8° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 13,605 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in San Martin Texmelucan should follow.
On the compass the green needle points to 47.2°. If your phone shows true north, rotate until the heading reads 47°; with a classic magnetic compass, first correct for the local magnetic declination, which can shift the needle by several degrees.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in San Martin Texmelucan
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 42.8° towards north: the result is the bearing of 47.2°. Because the angle sits far from the cardinal points, a rough guess such as “east” would be off by more than 40°, which is why a measured bearing matters in San Martin Texmelucan.
Scholars agree that someone who can see the Kaaba must face it exactly, while someone far away faces its direction (jihat al-Ka‘bah) as precisely as reasonably possible. If a mosque is nearby, its mihrab and prayer lines are the easiest reference, since they were set when the building was laid out. At home, mark the direction once with tape or a small arrow so the whole family prays the same way.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
This is a place where maps mislead badly: a straight line on a flat map from San Martin Texmelucan to Mecca points to 89.1° (east), a full 41.9° away from the true Qibla of 47.2° (north-east). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 811 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from San Martin Texmelucan first heads north-east, and that is the direction to face.
The angle on this page is the initial bearing of the great circle from 19.2843° N, 98.4389° W to the Kaaba (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E). It is the method used by mosque architects and by every serious Qibla calculator, and it gives one exact answer for each point on Earth.
Distance from San Martin Texmelucan to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 13,605 km from San Martin Texmelucan as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 13,359 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 16 h 30 min, although most pilgrims from San Martin Texmelucan connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in San Martin Texmelucan run 9 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of San Martin Texmelucan rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in San Martin Texmelucan
On 71 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of San Martin Texmelucan 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 12:18 local time.
On 294 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 15:32.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | 15:32 |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 15:28 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 15:14 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 14:56 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 14:33 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 14:09 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 13:38 |
| 15 April 2027 | — | 13:14 |
| 1 May 2027 | — | 12:49 |
| 15 May 2027 | — | 12:32 |
| 1 June 2027 | 12:18 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 12:15 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 12:20 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 12:30 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | — | 12:46 |
| 15 August 2027 | — | 13:02 |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 13:21 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 13:36 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 13:55 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 14:12 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 14:34 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 14:52 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 15:12 |
| 15 December 2027 | — | 15:25 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in San Martin Texmelucan (03:18 and 03:27 local time), so they cannot be used here. Instead, on 13 January 2027 at 15:29 and 28 November 2027 at 15:09 the sun is over the point opposite the Kaaba, and every vertical shadow in San Martin Texmelucan points straight to Mecca.
San Martin Texmelucan compared with other cities
Compared with Mexico City, 74 km away, the Qibla in San Martin Texmelucan is turned 0.6° further clockwise (47.2° against 46.6°), and Mecca is 42 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Puebla City (36 km), prays towards 47.5°, a difference of 0.3°.
Across the 99 cities in Mexico on this site, the Qibla ranges from 25.5° in Rosarito to 54.2° in Chetumal, a spread of 28.7°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Mexico.
Qibla in cities near San Martin Texmelucan
- Puebla City47.5° · 36 km
- Chicoloapan de Juárez46.8° · 51 km
- Xico46.8° · 53 km
- Ecatepec de Morelos46.6° · 73 km
- Mexico City46.6° · 74 km
- Cuautla47.0° · 75 km
Qibla in San Martin Texmelucan: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in San Martin Texmelucan?
It is 47.2° from true north, which is north-east: 42.8° north of east.
How far is San Martin Texmelucan from Mecca?
13,605 km in a straight line over the globe, and 13,359 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in San Martin Texmelucan?
On 71 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 San Martin Texmelucan not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 89.1°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves San Martin Texmelucan at 47.2°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 47.2° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.
