Qibla
The Qibla, from where you stand.
The exact bearing to the Kaaba for your city, with the distance to Makkah and a simple compass. Free on the web — the live AR compass is in the app.
Search 436 cities across 147 countries.
Near you · approximate
Qibla from ColumbusUnited States
The short version
Read the bearing, not the needle
The angle on this site is measured from true north. Hold a compass flat, find north, then turn clockwise by the number shown. The Kaaba is a fixed point, so the bearing is the same every day of the year.
How to
Find the Qibla in three steps
A browser cannot read a live compass for you, but you can find the direction from any phone with these steps.
Start from true north
The bearing is measured clockwise from true north, not magnetic north. Most phone compass apps can show true north; if yours only shows magnetic north, apply the local declination.
Turn to the bearing
Hold the phone flat and rotate until the needle sits on the stated angle. Pick a fixed landmark in that direction so you can keep your line after putting the phone down.
Check against a wall
If you are indoors, the direction is still valid. Face the same bearing relative to a wall, or use the live AR compass in the app which overlays the Kaaba direction on your camera.
A phone’s magnetic sensor can be off by several degrees near metal or magnets. For a reliable reading, calibrate it away from cars, lifts and large appliances.
Popular
Qibla direction by city
The exact bearing and distance to Makkah for the cities people ask about most.
- Qibla in MakkahSaudi Arabia
- Qibla in MadinahSaudi Arabia
- Qibla in IstanbulTürkiye
- Qibla in CairoEgypt
- Qibla in LondonUnited Kingdom
- Qibla in New YorkUnited States
- Qibla in DubaiUnited Arab Emirates
- Qibla in KarachiPakistan
- Qibla in LahorePakistan
- Qibla in DelhiIndia
- Qibla in JakartaIndonesia
- Qibla in Kuala LumpurMalaysia
- Qibla in DhakaBangladesh
- Qibla in TorontoCanada
- Qibla in SydneyAustralia
- Qibla in JohannesburgSouth Africa
- Qibla in ParisFrance
- Qibla in BerlinGermany
- Qibla in RiyadhSaudi Arabia
Good to know
When a bearing is enough
You do not need a live compass for every prayer. Once you have faced the Qibla in a room, the same direction holds for later prayers there. Use this page to establish the line, then keep it.
Questions
The Qibla, answered
Direction, calculation and the limits of a phone compass.
What is the Qibla?
The Qibla is the direction of the Kaaba in the Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. Muslims face it for the five daily prayers, so the bearing differs for every city on Earth.
How is the Qibla direction calculated?
DeenDock calculates the great-circle bearing from the city’s coordinates to the Kaaba at 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E. The result is the angle clockwise from true north, and the distance is the great-circle distance to Makkah.
Why does my phone compass show a different angle?
Phone compasses usually point to magnetic north, which differs from true north by the local magnetic declination. Nearby metal, magnets and cases can also throw the sensor off. Calibrate by moving the phone in a figure-eight, then compare to the bearing shown here.
Is the Qibla the same in every city?
No. The Kaaba is a single point, so the bearing depends on where you stand. From London it is roughly south-east; from Jakarta it is roughly west-north-west. Choose your city for its exact angle.