Qibla · Lambayeque
Qibla direction in Chiclayo
To face the Kaaba in Chiclayo, turn to 69.1° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (20.9° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 13,349 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Chiclayo should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Chiclayo as a needle at 69.1°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 69°. 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 Chiclayo
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 20.9° towards north: the result is the bearing of 69.1°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 21° 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 Chiclayo, 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
A straight line drawn on a flat (Mercator) map from Chiclayo to Mecca points to 76.5° (east), 7.4° away from the correct 69.1°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 83 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 69.1° is the direction in which the shortest route from 6.7701° S, 79.8550° 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 Chiclayo to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 13,349 km from Chiclayo as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 13,295 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 16 h 12 min, although most pilgrims from Chiclayo connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Chiclayo 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 Chiclayo rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Chiclayo
On 159 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Chiclayo while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in August (31 days); for example, on 15 March 2027 it happens at 11:40 local time.
On 104 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 16:13.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | 16:13 |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 14:42 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 13:39 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 12:39 |
| 15 March 2027 | 11:40 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 10:28 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 09:29 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 08:19 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 07:14 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | — | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 07:41 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 08:42 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 09:47 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 10:36 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 11:33 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 12:25 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 13:35 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 14:42 |
| 1 December 2027 | — | 16:48 |
| 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 Chiclayo (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 Chiclayo points straight to Mecca.
Chiclayo compared with other cities
Compared with Lima, 663 km away, the Qibla in Chiclayo is turned 2.9° further anticlockwise (69.1° against 72.0°), and Mecca is 98 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Cajamarca (156 km), prays towards 69.4°, 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 Chiclayo
Qibla in Chiclayo: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Chiclayo?
It is 69.1° from true north, which is east: 20.9° north of east.
How far is Chiclayo from Mecca?
13,349 km in a straight line over the globe, and 13,295 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Chiclayo?
On 159 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 Chiclayo not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 76.5°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Chiclayo at 69.1°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 69.1° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.