Qibla · Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)
Qibla direction in Bến Cát
To face the Kaaba in Bến Cát, turn to 288.6° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (18.6° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 7,170 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Bến Cát should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Bến Cát as a needle at 288.6°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 289°. 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 Bến Cát
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 18.6° towards north: the result is the bearing of 288.6°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 19° 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 Bến Cát, 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 Bến Cát to Mecca points to 279.1° (west), 9.4° away from the correct 288.6°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 37 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 288.6° is the direction in which the shortest route from 11.1500° N, 106.6000° 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 Bến Cát to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 7,170 km from Bến Cát as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 7,181 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 8 h 56 min, although most pilgrims from Bến Cát connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Bến Cát run 4 hours ahead of Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Bến Cát rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Bến Cát
On 79 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Bến Cát while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (28 days); for example, on 1 May 2027 it happens at 12:42 local time.
On 157 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 06:40.
| 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 | — | 06:40 |
| 15 February 2027 | — | 07:47 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 08:46 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 09:40 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 10:43 |
| 15 April 2027 | — | 11:36 |
| 1 May 2027 | 12:42 | — |
| 15 May 2027 | 13:49 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | — | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 15:48 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 13:43 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | 12:37 | — |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 11:22 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 10:21 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 09:13 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 08:12 |
| 1 November 2027 | — | 06:57 |
| 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 Bến Cát: at 16:18 and 16:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Bến Cát compared with other cities
Compared with Hanoi, 1,101 km away, the Qibla in Bến Cát is turned 5.0° further clockwise (288.6° against 283.6°), and Mecca is 383 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Thu Dau Mot (20 km), prays towards 288.6°, a difference of 0.1°.
Across the 98 cities in Vietnam on this site, the Qibla ranges from 282.3° in Lao Cai to 289.4° in Ca Mau, a spread of 7.2°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.
See all cities on the Qibla page for Vietnam.
Qibla in cities near Bến Cát
- Thu Dau Mot288.6° · 20 km
- Trảng Bàng288.6° · 30 km
- Chơn Thành288.4° · 31 km
- Bien Hoa288.7° · 33 km
- Ho Chi Minh City288.7° · 37 km
- Dong Xoai288.4° · 53 km
Qibla in Bến Cát: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Bến Cát?
It is 288.6° from true north, which is west: 18.6° north of west.
How far is Bến Cát from Mecca?
7,170 km in a straight line over the globe, and 7,181 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Bến Cát?
On 79 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 Bến Cát not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 279.1°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Bến Cát at 288.6°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 288.6° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.