Or type coordinates
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On a phone, the dial turns with the compass. On a computer it shows north at the top.
- Qibla direction (from true north)
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- On a magnetic compass
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- Magnetic declination here
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- Distance to the Kaaba
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Find the Qibla with the sun
The arrow looks wrong? Calibrate the compass
Move the phone through the air in a figure 8, three or four times. Stay away from magnets, speakers, cars, steel tables and metal phone cases. Hold the phone flat, then look again.
How exact is it? The direction is worked out exactly for the place you pick. A phone compass is usually good to about ±5°, and worse near metal. For prayer in a mosque, follow the direction of the mosque. Your location is not stored on a server or sent anywhere.
About the Qibla finder
The Qibla is the direction of the Kaaba in Makkah, which Muslims face in prayer. This page shows the Qibla direction from your city or your location: the angle in degrees from north, the compass point, and the distance to the Kaaba.
On a phone, the dial can follow the phone's compass. Hold the phone flat and turn until the arrow points to the top — the page then says "You are facing the Qibla". On a computer, the dial shows north at the top, so you can line it up with a map or a compass.
Everything is worked out on your device. Your location is not stored on a server and not sent anywhere.
Features
- Qibla in degrees — the direction from true north, clockwise, to one decimal, with the compass point (for example 58.5° ENE)
- Live phone arrow — on a phone with a compass sensor the dial turns, and the page tells you to turn left or right
- Magnetic correction — the phone compass points to magnetic north, so the page adds the magnetic declination for your place (World Magnetic Model 2025)
- Magnetic compass bearing — the number to set on a hand compass
- Distance to the Kaaba — in kilometres and miles
- Sun method — the next two days the sun stands straight above the Kaaba, in your own time, and the angle between the sun and the Qibla right now
- Any place — a built-in list of cities, your device location, or typed coordinates
Qibla direction from big cities
Degrees are measured from true north, clockwise. North is 0°, east is 90°, south is 180° and west is 270°. The numbers come from the same formula as the tool.
| City | Qibla direction | Distance to the Kaaba |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 58.5° (ENE) | 10,306 km (6,404 mi) |
| Chicago | 48.7° (NE) | 11,149 km (6,928 mi) |
| Houston | 45.5° (NE) | 12,574 km (7,813 mi) |
| Los Angeles | 23.9° (NNE) | 13,424 km (8,342 mi) |
| Toronto | 54.6° (NE) | 10,493 km (6,520 mi) |
| London | 119.0° (ESE) | 4,794 km (2,979 mi) |
| Birmingham (UK) | 117.9° (ESE) | 4,952 km (3,077 mi) |
| Paris | 119.2° (ESE) | 4,496 km (2,794 mi) |
| Berlin | 136.7° (SE) | 4,130 km (2,566 mi) |
| Istanbul | 151.6° (SSE) | 2,407 km (1,495 mi) |
| Cairo | 136.3° (SE) | 1,288 km (800 mi) |
| Lagos | 63.2° (ENE) | 4,253 km (2,643 mi) |
| Karachi | 267.7° (W) | 2,801 km (1,740 mi) |
| Delhi | 266.6° (W) | 3,835 km (2,383 mi) |
| Dhaka | 277.7° (W) | 5,173 km (3,214 mi) |
| Kuala Lumpur | 292.5° (WNW) | 6,974 km (4,333 mi) |
| Jakarta | 295.2° (WNW) | 7,920 km (4,921 mi) |
| Sydney | 277.5° (W) | 13,236 km (8,225 mi) |
| Medina | 176.3° (S) | 339 km (211 mi) |
How the direction is worked out
The Earth is round, so the shortest way to the Kaaba is a great circle, like the route of a long flight. The Qibla is the direction you start in when you follow that shortest path. This is the method that most mosques and Qibla apps use today.
That is why the Qibla from North America points to the north-east, not to the south-east. On a flat world map Makkah looks south-east of New York. On the globe, the shortest path goes over the Atlantic towards Europe, so it starts at 58.5°, between north and east.
The tool uses the Kaaba's position 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E. Some communities in North America follow a different method. If your local mosque faces another direction, follow your mosque.
True north and magnetic north
A compass needle points to magnetic north, not to the true North Pole. The angle between the two is the magnetic declination. It depends on where you are and changes slowly over the years.
The Qibla in this tool is from true north. On a phone, the page reads the compass (magnetic) and adds the declination for your place from the World Magnetic Model 2025, so the arrow points the right way. For a hand compass, use the number under "On a magnetic compass".
| City | Qibla (true north) | Declination (2027) | On a magnetic compass |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 58.5° | 12.5° west | 70.9° |
| Toronto | 54.6° | 10.1° west | 64.7° |
| Chicago | 48.7° | 4.2° west | 52.8° |
| Los Angeles | 23.9° | 11.3° east | 12.5° |
| London | 119.0° | 1.2° east | 117.7° |
| Sydney | 277.5° | 12.8° east | 264.7° |
In New York the difference is about 12°. That is why a phone or hand compass without the correction can be clearly off.
Find the Qibla with the sun
Twice a year the sun stands straight above the Kaaba at noon in Makkah. In 2027 this happens on 28 May at 12:18 PM and on 16 July at 12:27 PM, Makkah time. At that minute, wherever the sun is up, the shadow of anything upright — a pole, a wall, a door frame — points straight away from the Qibla. Face the sun and you face the Qibla.
The tool shows these two moments in your own time, and says when the sun is down where you are. On other days it tells you the angle between the sun and the Qibla right now.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the Qibla direction?
The angle for the place you pick is exact to a tenth of a degree. The real limit is the compass you use: a phone compass is usually good to about ±5°, and worse near metal, magnets or electronics.
Why does my phone arrow move or look wrong?
Phone compasses are easily disturbed. Take off a magnetic case, step away from steel tables, cars and speakers, and move the phone in a figure 8 a few times. Then hold it flat and look again.
Does it work on a computer?
Yes. Most computers have no compass, so the dial shows north at the top. Use the number of degrees with a map or a compass.
Do I have to share my location?
No. You can pick a city or type coordinates. If you tap "Use my location", the position is used only on this page. It is not stored on a server or sent anywhere.
Is the Qibla in North America north-east or south-east?
North-east. The shortest path over the globe from the USA and Canada starts towards the north-east. Some communities use a different method — follow your local mosque if it differs.
Why does a distance appear?
It is the great-circle distance from your place to the Kaaba, over the Earth's surface. It is shown in kilometres and miles.
Related tools
- Ramadan Countdown — days until Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr
- Eid Countdown — days until the next Eid
- Online Compass — a full compass on your phone
- Sunrise and Sunset Times — sunrise, sunset and twilight for your city
- GPS Coordinates — find the latitude and longitude of a place
- World Clock — the time in Makkah and around the world
How to use it
- Type your city and pick it from the list, or tap Use my location.
- Read the Qibla direction in degrees from north under the dial.
- On a phone, tap Use the phone's compass if the page asks. Hold the phone flat and turn until the arrow points to the top.
- When the box turns green and says You are facing the Qibla, you face the Kaaba.
- On a computer, line the dial up with north on a map, or use the number on a hand compass.
- With a hand compass, use the number under On a magnetic compass.
