Qibla · Maputo Province
Qibla direction in Ressano Garcia
To face the Kaaba in Ressano Garcia, turn to 9.9° measured clockwise from true north, which is north (9.9° east of north). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 5,279 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Ressano Garcia should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Ressano Garcia as a needle at 9.9°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 10°. 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 Ressano Garcia
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards north and move a further 9.9° towards east: the result is the bearing of 9.9°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at north would leave you about 10° 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 Ressano Garcia, 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
On a flat (Mercator) map, the straight line from Ressano Garcia to Mecca points to 9.2°, only 0.7° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 9.9° bearing remains the exact one.
The value of 9.9° is the direction in which the shortest route from 25.4428° S, 31.9953° 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 Ressano Garcia to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 5,279 km from Ressano Garcia as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 5,610 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 6 h 43 min, although most pilgrims from Ressano Garcia connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Ressano Garcia run 1 hour behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Ressano Garcia rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Ressano Garcia
On 365 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Ressano Garcia while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in January (31 days); for example, on 1 January 2027 it happens at 11:54 local time.
The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Ressano Garcia during daylight, so the shadow method does not apply here; the left-hand column is the one to use.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | 11:54 | — |
| 15 January 2027 | 11:58 | — |
| 1 February 2027 | 11:59 | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 11:57 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 11:52 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 11:45 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 11:36 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 11:29 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 11:22 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:19 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:18 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:20 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:23 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:29 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 11:30 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 11:30 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 11:28 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 11:27 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 11:26 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 11:28 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 11:31 | — |
| 1 December 2027 | 11:38 | — |
| 15 December 2027 | 11:45 | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Ressano Garcia: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Ressano Garcia compared with other cities
Compared with Maputo, 83 km away, the Qibla in Ressano Garcia is turned 0.8° further clockwise (9.9° against 9.1°), and Mecca is 48 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Maputo (83 km), prays towards 9.1°, a difference of 0.8°.
Across the 16 cities in Mozambique on this site, the Qibla ranges from 0.9° in Nampula to 359.9° in Angoche, a spread of 359.0°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Mozambique.
Qibla in cities near Ressano Garcia
Qibla in Ressano Garcia: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Ressano Garcia?
It is 9.9° from true north, which is north: 9.9° east of north.
How far is Ressano Garcia from Mecca?
5,279 km in a straight line over the globe, and 5,610 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Ressano Garcia?
On 365 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.
Is the Qibla the same everywhere in Mozambique?
No. It ranges from 0.9° to 359.9° across the country, so each city has its own bearing.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 9.9° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.