The 2027 total solar eclipse in Mecca

Eclipse times in Mecca

Times are for the Grand Mosque, in Saudi local time (UTC+3). The whole eclipse lasts about 2 hours 45 minutes, and the Sun is completely hidden for only 5m 10s in the middle.

At mid-eclipse the Sun stands 76 degrees above the horizon, a little to the west of straight overhead. Looking up at it from the courtyard means tipping your head almost fully back, so if you want to watch the whole partial phase, sit down or lean against a wall.

The eclipse prayer at the Grand Mosque

Muslims mark a solar eclipse with a special prayer, salat al-kusuf. Its origin is an eclipse in Medina in the Prophet’s lifetime, on the day his young son Ibrahim died. People said the Sun had darkened because of the death. According to the hadith collected by al-Bukhari, the Prophet told them that the Sun and the Moon do not eclipse because of anyone’s death or life, and that when they see an eclipse they should pray and call on God until it clears.

In the form followed in Saudi Arabia, the prayer has two units, each with two bowings and long recitations, and at the Grand Mosque it is followed by a sermon. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs asks mosques to hold it whenever an eclipse is visible. During the partial eclipse of October 2022, mosques across the kingdom held the eclipse prayer in the early afternoon. In 2027 the eclipse begins about 25 minutes before the midday prayer, which falls around 12:27, and ends an hour before the afternoon prayer, around 15:46. If the eclipse prayer is held, it most likely comes after the midday prayer, while the Sun is still partly covered.

Totality in the courtyard will feel like a sudden dusk at half past one in the afternoon. The sky turns dark blue, the air cools by a few degrees and the Sun’s corona shines as a silver ring high overhead.

Who can watch from Mecca

Only Muslims may enter Mecca, and the rule applies to visitors and residents of Saudi Arabia. Muslims coming from abroad should check the current rules for Umrah and entry permits on Nusuk, the official Saudi platform for pilgrims, well before booking, because hotels close to the Haram fill early.

Non-Muslim visitors have an easy alternative. Jeddah, about 80 km away by road on the Red Sea coast, gets 6m 03s of totality, longer than Mecca, and a tourist e-visa is available to many nationalities. Taif, in the mountains above Mecca, is cooler but has only 3m 56s because it sits closer to the edge of the path.

Mina, Arafat and the hills around the city

The whole Mecca area lies well inside the path. East of the Grand Mosque, towards the pilgrimage sites, the length of totality barely changes:

• Mina5m 02s, from 13:24:08
• Arafat4m 59s, from 13:24:26

Mina lies inside the sacred area, and Arafat, about 20 km east of the Grand Mosque, just beyond its boundary. Both are almost empty outside the Hajj season and are reached on roads closed to non-Muslims, so the same entry rule applies in practice.

Heat and eye safety

Early-August afternoons in Mecca are very hot, usually above 40°C (104°F). The partial phases last more than an hour on each side of totality, so plan for shade and water if you intend to watch from outside.

Eclipse glasses are needed for the whole eclipse except the five minutes of totality. With the Sun almost overhead, people tend to glance up without protection, and even a few seconds of staring at a thin crescent can damage the eye. Our eye safety guide explains which glasses are safe and the exact moment you can take them off.