Geospatial Analysis of Qibla Orientation Deviations in Jami’ Mosques:

The Impact of Unregulated Urban Growth in Pallangga District, Gowa Regency, Indonesia

Mursyid Fikri

Abd. Kohar

Indriana

 

Abstract: Urban development in many Indonesian regions is shaped by unstructured spatial planning, which produces a range of socio-cultural and religious consequences. In Muslim-majority societies, one critical yet understudied issue is the misalignment of mosque orientation, particularly the Qibla direction, due to improper urban layout. This article evaluates the alignment accuracy of jāmiʿ (congregational prayer) mosques in the Pallangga District, Gowa Regency (South Sulawesi) by integrating Google Maps-based geospatial analysis with the traditional istiwaʾaynī (two equilibria) method. Of the 14 jāmiʿ mosques listed in the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ Directorate of Islamic Community Guidance database, 12 deviate by 5°-20° from the correct Qibla Azimuth (the horizontal angle measured clockwise from true north to the direction of the Ka‘bah in Makkah at a given location) because builders followed street grids and lot boundaries instead of astronomical principles. These findings demonstrate that unregulated urban planning plays a substantial role in the spatial religious dissonance between functional infrastructure and ritual requirements. The article advocates integrative planning that embeds religious spatial standards into urban-development policy, particularly in predominantly Muslim societies, so that architecture aligns with spiritual obligations. The implications of this research contribute to urban Islamic studies, spatial planning ethics, and debates on religious compliance in the built environment.