Qibla · Quang Tri
Qibla direction in Đông Hà
To face the Kaaba in Đông Hà, turn to 286.0° measured clockwise from true north, which is west (16.0° north of west). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 7,034 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Đông Hà should follow.
The compass rose shows the Qibla of Đông Hà as a needle at 286.0°. With a phone app set to true north, simply turn until it reads 286°. 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 Đông Hà
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 16.0° towards north: the result is the bearing of 286.0°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 16° 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 Đông Hà, 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 Đông Hà to Mecca points to 274.1° (west), 11.8° away from the correct 286.0°. That map line is a rhumb line: it keeps the same compass heading all the way, but it is 50 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 286.0° is the direction in which the shortest route from 16.8163° N, 107.1003° 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 Đông Hà to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 7,034 km from Đông Hà as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 7,010 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 8 h 47 min, although most pilgrims from Đông Hà connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Đông Hà 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 Đông Hà rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Đông Hà
On 70 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Đông Hà while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in July (29 days); for example, on 15 May 2027 it happens at 12:20 local time.
On 173 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 15 February 2027 at 06:55.
| 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 | — | 06:55 |
| 1 March 2027 | — | 07:48 |
| 15 March 2027 | — | 08:38 |
| 1 April 2027 | — | 09:36 |
| 15 April 2027 | — | 10:25 |
| 1 May 2027 | — | 11:24 |
| 15 May 2027 | 12:20 | — |
| 1 June 2027 | 13:37 | — |
| 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| 1 July 2027 | — | — |
| 15 July 2027 | 13:29 | — |
| 1 August 2027 | 12:17 | — |
| 15 August 2027 | — | 11:20 |
| 1 September 2027 | — | 10:12 |
| 15 September 2027 | — | 09:16 |
| 1 October 2027 | — | 08:12 |
| 15 October 2027 | — | 07:15 |
| 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 Đông Hà: at 16:18 and 16:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Đông Hà compared with other cities
Compared with Hanoi, 486 km away, the Qibla in Đông Hà is turned 2.4° further clockwise (286.0° against 283.6°), and Mecca is 247 km farther away. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Phong Điền (38 km), prays towards 286.1°, a difference of 0.2°.
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 Đông Hà
Qibla in Đông Hà: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Đông Hà?
It is 286.0° from true north, which is west: 16.0° north of west.
How far is Đông Hà from Mecca?
7,034 km in a straight line over the globe, and 7,010 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Đông Hà?
On 70 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 Đông Hà not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 274.1°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Đông Hà at 286.0°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 286.0° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.