Qibla · Catalonia
Qibla direction in Terrassa
To face the Kaaba in Terrassa, turn to 110.6° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (20.6° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 4,178 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Terrassa should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Terrassa as a needle at 110.6°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 111°. 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 Terrassa
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 20.6° towards south: the result is the bearing of 110.6°. 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 Terrassa, 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 Terrassa to Mecca points to 122.2° (south-east), 11.6° away from the correct 110.6°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 22 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 110.6° is the direction in which the shortest route from 41.5667° N, 2.0167° 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 Terrassa to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 4,178 km from Terrassa as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 3,944 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 5 h 25 min, although most pilgrims from Terrassa connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Terrassa run 2 hours behind Mecca in winter and 1 hour behind Mecca in summer, because of daylight saving time. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Terrassa rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Terrassa
On 255 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Terrassa 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 08:13 local time.
On 85 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 July (31 days), for instance on 15 May 2027 at 20:28.
| 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 | — | — |
| 15 February 2027 | 08:13 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 08:32 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 08:51 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 10:12 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 10:29 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 10:48 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 11:05 | 20:28 |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:22 | 20:14 |
| 15 June 2027 | 11:31 | 20:11 |
| 1 July 2027 | 11:33 | 20:15 |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:27 | 20:25 |
| 1 August 2027 | 11:11 | 20:43 |
| 15 August 2027 | 10:52 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | 10:23 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 09:58 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 09:28 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 09:02 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | — | — |
| 15 November 2027 | — | — |
| 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 Terrassa: at 11:18 and 11:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Terrassa compared with other cities
Compared with Madrid, 497 km away, the Qibla in Terrassa is turned 6.6° further clockwise (110.6° against 104.0°), and Mecca is 420 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain (23 km), prays towards 110.5°, a difference of 0.1°.
Across the 49 cities in Spain on this site, the Qibla ranges from 84.6° in Santa Cruz de Tenerife to 112.0° in Girona, a spread of 27.4°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Spain.
Qibla in cities near Terrassa
Qibla in Terrassa: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Terrassa?
It is 110.6° from true north, which is east: 20.6° south of east.
How far is Terrassa from Mecca?
4,178 km in a straight line over the globe, and 3,944 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Terrassa?
On 255 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 Terrassa not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 122.2°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Terrassa at 110.6°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 110.6° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.