Qibla · South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Qibla direction in Grytviken
To face the Kaaba in Grytviken, turn to 66.6° measured clockwise from true north, which is north-east (23.4° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 11,084 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Grytviken should follow.
Line up the top of your phone or compass with the green needle: it marks 66.6°, the Qibla of Grytviken. Phone compasses usually display true north, so a reading of 67° is all you need; a needle compass reads magnetic north and needs the local declination added or subtracted first.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Grytviken
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 23.4° towards north: the result is the bearing of 66.6°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 23° off.
Facing the Qibla is a condition of the prayer. Whoever prays inside the Sacred Mosque faces the Kaaba itself; whoever is far away, as in Grytviken, faces its direction and makes a sincere effort to be accurate. A nearby mosque is a handy reference, because its prayer rows were aligned when it was built. Once you know the direction at home, a discreet mark on the wall saves you from checking again.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
This is a place where maps mislead badly: a straight line on a flat map from Grytviken to Mecca points to 41.3° (north-east), a full 25.3° away from the true Qibla of 66.6° (north-east). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 124 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Grytviken first heads north-east, and that is the direction to face.
How is the figure of 66.6° obtained? From the coordinates of Grytviken (54.2811° S, 36.5092° W) and of the Kaaba (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E), spherical trigonometry gives the starting bearing of the great circle joining them. Mosque architects and astronomical Qibla tables rely on exactly the same calculation.
Distance from Grytviken to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 11,084 km from Grytviken as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 11,348 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 13 h 32 min, although most pilgrims from Grytviken connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Grytviken run 5 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Grytviken rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Grytviken
On 233 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Grytviken 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 09:24 local time.
On 89 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 19:20.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | 09:24 | 19:20 |
| 15 January 2027 | 09:24 | 19:31 |
| 1 February 2027 | 09:17 | 19:47 |
| 15 February 2027 | 09:05 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 08:50 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 08:33 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 08:11 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 07:53 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | — | — |
| 15 May 2027 | — | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | — | — |
| 1 August 2027 | — | — |
| 15 August 2027 | — | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 07:57 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 08:06 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 08:16 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 08:26 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 08:39 | — |
| 15 November 2027 | 08:52 | 19:14 |
| 1 December 2027 | 09:06 | 19:08 |
| 15 December 2027 | 09:17 | 19:10 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Grytviken (07:18 and 07:27 local time), so they cannot be used here. Instead, on 13 January 2027 at 19:29 and 28 November 2027 at 19:09 the sun is over the point opposite the Kaaba, and every vertical shadow in Grytviken points straight to Mecca.
Grytviken compared with other cities
See all cities on the Qibla page for South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.
Qibla in Grytviken: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Grytviken?
It is 66.6° from true north, which is north-east: 23.4° north of east.
How far is Grytviken from Mecca?
11,084 km in a straight line over the globe, and 11,348 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Grytviken?
On 233 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 Grytviken not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 41.3°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Grytviken at 66.6°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 66.6° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.