Antipode of Mecca, Saudi Arabia
The opposite side of the world to Mecca is Tapuarava, Îles Tuamotu-Gambier, French Polynesia.
Mecca
Saudi Arabia
Continent: Asia
Coordinates: 21.427, 39.826
Antipodal point
Opposite side in the world
Continent: Asia
Coordinates: -21.427, -140.174
Tapuarava
French Polynesia
Tapuarava is the closest city to Mecca's antipodal point (508 km).
The antipodal city to Mecca is Tapuarava. This means that, among all the populated locations in the world, the farthest city from Mecca is Tapuarava.
The distance from Mecca to Tapuarava is about 20,000 kilometers. A direct flight would take around 22 hours, but there aren't commercial routes between these cities.
Cities on the other side of the world of Mecca
This table contains the populated locations that are closest to Mecca's antipode. These are the farthest cities in the world from Mecca.
| City | Country | Distance from antipode | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tapuarava, Îles Tuamotu-Gambier | French Polynesia | 508 km | (-18.466, -136.463) |
| Rikitea, Îles Tuamotu-Gambier | French Polynesia | 568 km | (-23.123, -134.969) |
| Mataura | French Polynesia | 982 km | (-23.347, -149.485) |
| Tautira, Îles du Vent | French Polynesia | 1,027 km | (-17.747, -149.161) |
| Teahupoo, Îles du Vent | French Polynesia | 1,032 km | (-17.846, -149.267) |
| Pueu, Îles du Vent | French Polynesia | 1,033 km | (-17.738, -149.224) |
| Vairao, Îles du Vent | French Polynesia | 1,037 km | (-17.783, -149.283) |
| Tohautu, Îles du Vent | French Polynesia | 1,041 km | (-17.761, -149.317) |
| Afaahiti | French Polynesia | 1,043 km | (-17.744, -149.324) |
| Faone, Îles du Vent | French Polynesia | 1,045 km | (-17.669, -149.309) |
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Local time:
Coordinates: 21.4266° N 39.8256° E
Tapuarava, French Polynesia
Local time:
Coordinates: 18.4665° S 136.4633° W
How to calculate the antipodal point?
The antipode can be calculated by understanding the geographic coordinates and applying simple formulas. We will use the following variables:
- LatO: Latitude at the origin point.
- LngO: Longitude at the origin point.
- LatA: Latitude at the antipodal point.
- LngA: Longitude at the antipodal point.
Step 1: Obtain the geographic coordinates of Mecca
The DMS coordinates are: 21°25'35.9'' N 39°49'32.3'' E .
Calculations are easier by using the decimal format, hence:
LatO = 21.42664°
LngO = 39.82563°
Step 2: Calculate the latitude
LatA = - LatO = -21.42664°
Since the latitude is positive (north direction), the antipode must be negative (south direction).
Step 3: Calculate the longitude
LngA = LngO ± 180° = 39.82563 - 180° = -140.17437°
Since the longitude is positive, we subtract 180° to ensure the final value lies between (-180, 180). If it were the other way around, we would sum 180° for the same reason.
Result:
The antipode of Mecca is located on coordinates: (LatA, LngA) = (-21.42664, -140.17437)
In DMS format: 21°25'35.9'' N 39°49'32.3'' E .
