Qibla · Ica
Qibla direction in Chincha Alta
To face the Kaaba in Chincha Alta, turn to 72.7° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (17.3° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 13,205 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Chincha Alta should follow.
On the compass the green needle points to 72.7°. If your phone shows true north, rotate until the heading reads 73°; 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 Chincha Alta
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 17.3° towards north: the result is the bearing of 72.7°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 17° off.
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
On a flat (Mercator) map, the straight line from Chincha Alta to Mecca points to 73.0°, only 0.3° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 72.7° bearing remains the exact one.
The angle on this page is the initial bearing of the great circle from 13.4099° S, 76.1324° 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 Chincha Alta to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 13,205 km from Chincha Alta as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 13,202 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 16 h 02 min, although most pilgrims from Chincha Alta connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Chincha Alta run 8 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Chincha Alta rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Chincha Alta
On 161 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Chincha Alta while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in March (31 days); for example, on 15 February 2027 it happens at 12:08 local time.
On 66 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 November (30 days), for instance on 15 January 2027 at 14:46.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 14:46 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 13:11 |
| 15 February 2027 | 12:08 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 11:07 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 10:08 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 08:55 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 07:55 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 06:45 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | — | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | — | — |
| 1 August 2027 | — | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 07:08 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 08:13 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 09:03 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 10:00 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 10:53 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 12:03 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 13:11 |
| 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 happen at night in Chincha Alta (04:18 and 04:27 local time), so they cannot be used here. Instead, on 13 January 2027 at 16:29 and 28 November 2027 at 16:09 the sun is over the point opposite the Kaaba, and every vertical shadow in Chincha Alta points straight to Mecca.
Chincha Alta compared with other cities
Compared with Lima, 180 km away, the Qibla in Chincha Alta is turned 0.7° further clockwise (72.7° against 72.0°), and Mecca is 47 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Ica (86 km), prays towards 73.0°, a difference of 0.3°.
Across the 20 cities in Peru on this site, the Qibla ranges from 68.0° in Sullana to 74.1° in Tacna, a spread of 6.1°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Peru.
Qibla in cities near Chincha Alta
Qibla in Chincha Alta: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Chincha Alta?
It is 72.7° from true north, which is east: 17.3° north of east.
How far is Chincha Alta from Mecca?
13,205 km in a straight line over the globe, and 13,202 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Chincha Alta?
On 161 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 Peru?
No. It ranges from 68.0° to 74.1° across the country, so each city has its own bearing.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 72.7° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.