Qibla · Quảng Ninh
Qibla direction in Móng Cái
To face the Kaaba in Móng Cái, turn to 283.8° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (13.8° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 6,988 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Móng Cái should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Móng Cái as a needle at 283.8°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 284°. 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 Móng Cái
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 13.8° towards north: the result is the bearing of 283.8°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 14° 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 Móng Cái, 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 Móng Cái to Mecca points to 269.9° (west), 13.9° away from the correct 283.8°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 63 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 283.8° is the direction in which the shortest route from 21.5247° N, 107.9662° 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 Móng Cái to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 6,988 km from Móng Cái as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 6,932 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 8 h 43 min, although most pilgrims from Móng Cái connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Móng Cái 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 Móng Cái rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Móng Cái
On 109 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Móng Cái 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 1 May 2027 it happens at 17:42 local time.
On 199 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 March 2027 at 07:09.
| 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 | — | — |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 07:09 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 07:53 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 08:45 |
| 15 April 2027 | — | 09:28 |
| 1 May 2027 | 17:42 | 10:18 |
| 15 May 2027 | 16:56 | 11:03 |
| 1 June 2027 | 11:55 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | 12:24 | — |
| 1 July 2027 | 12:23 | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 11:55 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 17:17 | 11:04 |
| 15 August 2027 | — | 10:16 |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 09:16 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 08:26 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 07:28 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 06:38 |
| 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 Móng Cái: at 16:18 and 16:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Móng Cái compared with other cities
The Qibla here is practically the same as in Hanoi (283.6°), and Mecca is 201 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Cẩm Phả (92 km), prays towards 283.9°, 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 Móng Cái
Qibla in Móng Cái: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Móng Cái?
It is 283.8° from true north, which is west: 13.8° north of west.
How far is Móng Cái from Mecca?
6,988 km in a straight line over the globe, and 6,932 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Móng Cái?
On 109 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 Móng Cái not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 269.9°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Móng Cái at 283.8°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 283.8° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.