Qibla Direction

The qibla is the direction of the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque of Makkah, the direction Muslims face during prayer. This finder shows the qibla bearing from your location in degrees from true north, measured clockwise, computed with the great-circle formula between your coordinates and those of the Kaaba (latitude 21.4225° N, longitude 39.8252° E).

To use the result: open your phone’s compass app, hold the device flat, and turn until the compass points to the displayed degree; you will then be facing the qibla. Select your city from the list or use the location button for a more precise result.

How is the qibla bearing derived?

The bearing is computed as the great-circle path between your city’s coordinates (φ₁, λ₁) and the Kaaba’s coordinates (φ₂, λ₂) on the earth’s surface, using the standard forward-azimuth formula of geodesy:

Δλ = λ₂ − λ₁
θ = atan2( sin Δλ · cos φ₂ , cos φ₁ · sin φ₂ − sin φ₁ · cos φ₂ · cos Δλ )

where θ is the bearing in degrees clockwise from true north. Because the great-circle path is the shortest route across the earth’s surface, it is the geodetic and astronomical standard for determining the qibla everywhere in the world.

Caution: magnetic compass vs true north

The degree shown on this page is measured from true north (the earth’s geographic axis), while a phone compass points to magnetic north, which deviates from true north by the “magnetic declination” — roughly 2–5 degrees in most Arab cities and more than ten degrees in some other regions. When using a magnetic compass, apply your city’s declination correction if the compass app supports it, or use the “use my location” button in tools that correct for it automatically; otherwise a qibla error of several degrees can occur.