Qibla · Montevideo Department
Qibla direction in Montevideo
To face the Kaaba in Montevideo, turn to 75.3° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (14.7° north of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 11,875 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Montevideo should follow.
Line up the top of your phone or compass with the green needle: it marks 75.3°, the Qibla of Montevideo. Phone compasses usually display true north, so a reading of 75° 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 Montevideo
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 14.7° towards north: the result is the bearing of 75.3°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 15° 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 Montevideo, 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 Montevideo to Mecca points to 58.3° (north-east), a full 16.9° away from the true Qibla of 75.3° (east). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 54 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Montevideo first heads east, and that is the direction to face.
How is the figure of 75.3° obtained? From the coordinates of Montevideo (34.9033° S, 56.1882° 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 Montevideo to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 11,875 km from Montevideo as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 12,032 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 14 h 28 min, although most pilgrims from Montevideo connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Montevideo run 6 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Montevideo rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Montevideo
On 229 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Montevideo 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 10:41 local time.
On 105 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 18:13.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | 10:41 | 18:13 |
| 15 January 2027 | 10:34 | 18:33 |
| 1 February 2027 | 10:11 | 19:04 |
| 15 February 2027 | 09:46 | — |
| 1 March 2027 | 09:16 | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 08:44 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 08:04 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | — | — |
| 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 | 07:40 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 08:03 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 08:30 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | 08:54 | — |
| 1 November 2027 | 09:26 | 18:48 |
| 15 November 2027 | 09:51 | 18:24 |
| 1 December 2027 | 10:18 | 18:07 |
| 15 December 2027 | 10:35 | 18:02 |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both happen at night in Montevideo (06:18 and 06:27 local time), so they cannot be used here. Instead, on 13 January 2027 at 18:29 and 28 November 2027 at 18:09 the sun is over the point opposite the Kaaba, and every vertical shadow in Montevideo points straight to Mecca.
Montevideo compared with other cities
The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Maldonado (113 km), prays towards 74.6°, a difference of 0.6°.
Among the 3 cities in Uruguay on this site, Montevideo has the largest Qibla bearing; the smallest is 74.6° in Maldonado. Across the country the direction varies by 0.6°.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Uruguay.
Qibla in cities near Montevideo
Qibla in Montevideo: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Montevideo?
It is 75.3° from true north, which is east: 14.7° north of east.
How far is Montevideo from Mecca?
11,875 km in a straight line over the globe, and 12,032 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Montevideo?
On 229 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 Montevideo not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 58.3°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Montevideo at 75.3°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 75.3° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.