Qibla direction in Minatitlán

How to face the Qibla in Minatitlán

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 39.5° towards north: the result is the bearing of 50.5°. Because the angle sits far from the cardinal points, a rough guess such as “east” would be off by more than 30°, which is why a measured bearing matters in Minatitlán.

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 Minatitlán, 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 Minatitlán to Mecca points to 88.5° (east), a full 38.0° away from the true Qibla of 50.5° (north-east). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 679 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Minatitlán first heads north-east, and that is the direction to face.

The value of 50.5° is the direction in which the shortest route from 18.0001° N, 94.5569° 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 Minatitlán to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 13,391 km from Minatitlán as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 13,162 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 16 h 15 min, although most pilgrims from Minatitlán connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.

Clocks in Minatitlán 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 Minatitlán rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Minatitlán

On 81 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Minatitlán while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in July (31 days); for example, on 15 May 2027 it happens at 12:10 local time.

On 284 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 15:33.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Minatitlán (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 Minatitlán points straight to Mecca.

Minatitlán compared with other cities

Compared with Mexico City, 507 km away, the Qibla in Minatitlán is turned 3.9° further clockwise (50.5° against 46.6°), and Mecca is 256 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Coatzacoalcos (20 km), prays towards 50.5°, the same bearing to the tenth of a degree.

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 Minatitlán

• Coatzacoalcos50.5° · 20 km
• San Juan Bautista Tuxtla49.4° · 166 km
• Villahermosa51.6° · 171 km
• Tuxtla Gutiérrez52.0° · 206 km
• Veracruz48.9° · 213 km
• San Cristóbal de las Casas52.3° · 248 km