Qibla · Soccsksargen
Qibla direction in Iligan City
To face the Kaaba in Iligan City, turn to 290.6° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (20.6° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 9,116 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Iligan City should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Iligan City as a needle at 290.6°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 291°. 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 Iligan City
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 20.6° towards north: the result is the bearing of 290.6°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west 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 Iligan City, 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 Iligan City to Mecca points to 279.2° (west), 11.5° away from the correct 290.6°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 70 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 290.6° is the direction in which the shortest route from 8.2500° N, 124.4000° 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 Iligan City to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 9,116 km from Iligan City as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 9,105 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 11 h 13 min, although most pilgrims from Iligan City connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Iligan City run 5 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Iligan City rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Iligan City
On 103 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Iligan City while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 15 April 2027 it happens at 11:58 local time.
On 159 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 March (31 days), for instance on 1 February 2027 at 07:14.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | — |
| 1 February 2027 | — | 07:14 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 08:17 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 09:13 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 10:06 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 11:07 |
| 15 April 2027 | 11:58 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 13:01 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 14:03 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 15:52 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 15:28 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 13:58 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 12:56 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | — | — |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 10:45 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 09:39 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 08:40 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 07:28 |
| 15 November 2027 | — | 06:25 |
| 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 moments are in daylight in Iligan City: at 17:18 and 17:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Iligan City compared with other cities
Compared with Manila, 799 km away, the Qibla in Iligan City is turned 1.6° further clockwise (290.6° against 289.0°), and Mecca is 591 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Iligan (17 km), prays towards 290.6°, the same bearing to the tenth of a degree.
Across the 80 cities in the Philippines on this site, the Qibla ranges from 288.1° in Laoag to 290.9° in General Santos, a spread of 2.8°. The difference is small, yet each city should still use its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Philippines.
Qibla in cities near Iligan City
- Iligan290.6° · 17 km
- Marawi City290.6° · 30 km
- Cagayan de Oro290.6° · 38 km
- Manolo Fortich290.7° · 53 km
- NIA Valencia290.7° · 85 km
- Quezon290.8° · 96 km
Qibla in Iligan City: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Iligan City?
It is 290.6° from true north, which is west: 20.6° north of west.
How far is Iligan City from Mecca?
9,116 km in a straight line over the globe, and 9,105 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Iligan City?
On 103 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 Iligan City not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 279.2°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Iligan City at 290.6°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 290.6° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.