Antipode of Makkah, Saudi Arabia
The opposite side of the world to Makkah is Otepa, Tuamotu-Gambier Islands, French Polynesia.
Makkah
Saudi Arabia
Continent: Asia
Coordinates: 21.427, 39.826
Antipodal point
South Pacific Ocean
Exact location on the other side of the world
Coordinates: -21.427, -140.174
Otepa
French Polynesia
Otepa is the closest city to Makkah's antipodal point (375 km).
The antipodal city to Makkah is Otepa. This means that, among all the populated locations in the world, the farthest city from Makkah is Otepa.
The distance from Makkah to Otepa 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 Makkah
This table contains the populated locations that are closest to Makkah's antipode. These are the farthest cities in the world from Makkah.
| City | Country | Distance from antipode | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otepa, Tuamotu-Gambier Islands | French Polynesia | 375 km | (-18.106, -140.906) |
| Tapuarava, Tuamotu-Gambier Islands | French Polynesia | 508 km | (-18.466, -136.463) |
| Rikitea, Tuamotu-Gambier Islands | French Polynesia | 568 km | (-23.123, -134.969) |
| Tukuhora, Tuamotu-Gambier Islands | French Polynesia | 720 km | (-17.346, -145.517) |
| Mataura, Austral Islands | 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) |
Local time:
Time Zone: Asia/Riyadh
Coordinates: 21.4266° N 39.8256° E
Elevation: 333 m (1,093 ft)
Local time:
Time Zone: Pacific/Tahiti
Coordinates: 18.1062° S 140.9059° W
Elevation: 6 m (20 ft)
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 Makkah
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 Makkah is located on coordinates: (LatA, LngA) = (-21.42664, -140.17437)
In DMS format: 21°25'35.9'' N 39°49'32.3'' E .