Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!rice!portia.Stanford.EDU
From: mack@portia.Stanford.EDU (Siamak Hashemi)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Where is Mecca?
Message-ID: <4061@brazos.Rice.edu>
Date: 31 Dec 89 14:17:46 GMT
Sender: root@rice.edu
Lines: 19
Approved: sadeghi@oxy.edu



There has been a disagreement among a few of us here as which way
should we face when praying in the Bay Area.
Some of us say East-Southeast since Mecca is to the east of San Fransisco
and is located at a lower latitude than that of San Fransisco.
Others (including me) say we should face East-Northeast, since that is
the direction that the great circle which goes through Mecca and San-
Fransisco goes through Bay Area, therefore making it the shortest distance
between the two points.

Could someone out there with sufficient information clarify the situation
here.

Thank you all.

						Best Regards,
						Siamak Hashemi
						Stanford University.