How to use Qibla Direction Finder
Find the precise Qibla direction — the compass bearing toward the Kaaba in Mecca — from any city or GPS coordinates in the world. The bearing is computed using the great-circle (shortest path on a sphere) formula, which gives the most accurate direction for prayer. Enter your location to receive the bearing in degrees from true north, displayed alongside a visual compass and an optional map showing the great-circle arc to the Kaaba at 21.4225°N, 39.8262°E.
- Enter your city name or current address in the location field, or click "Use my location" for automatic GPS detection.
- The tool computes the great-circle bearing from your coordinates to the Kaaba (21.4225°N, 39.8262°E) in Mecca.
- Read the Qibla bearing in degrees clockwise from true north (e.g., approximately 119° from London).
- Use the on-screen compass or align with a physical compass, accounting for local magnetic declination.
- View the great-circle arc on the interactive map to understand the global path toward Mecca.
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Great-circle bearing to the Kaaba
The great-circle path (orthodrome) is the shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere and is the direction used in Islamic jurisprudence for the Qibla. The initial bearing along this path is calculated using spherical trigonometry: bearing = atan2(sin(delta_lon) x cos(lat2), cos(lat1) x sin(lat2) - sin(lat1) x cos(lat2) x cos(delta_lon)), where lat1/lon1 is the observer's position and lat2/lon2 is the Kaaba at 21.4225°N, 39.8262°E. The table below lists the resulting Qibla bearing for several major cities to illustrate the wide variation around the globe.
| City | Country | Qibla bearing |
|---|---|---|
| London | United Kingdom | ~119° |
| New York City | United States | ~59° |
| Istanbul | Turkey | ~152° |
| Karachi | Pakistan | ~268° |
| Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | ~293° |
| Sydney | Australia | ~277° |
| Cape Town | South Africa | ~23° |
| Nairobi | Kenya | ~7° |
Magnetic declination and practical alignment
The Qibla bearing from this tool is relative to true geographic north, not magnetic north. A physical compass needle points to magnetic north, which deviates from true north by an angle called magnetic declination — this varies by location and shifts slowly over time. For example, London has a magnetic declination of approximately +0.5° west and New York City approximately -13° (west) in recent years. To use a physical compass, apply the local magnetic declination to the true-north bearing. Digital device compasses and mapping applications typically correct for declination automatically. Scholarly consensus holds that facing approximately the correct direction satisfies the obligation of Qibla; exact precision to the degree is not required in normal circumstances.
Worked examples
From New York
Inputs: New York City
Result: ≈ 58° (north-east), great-circle bearing to Mecca
From London
Inputs: London, UK
Result: ≈ 119° (east-south-east) toward Mecca
From Jakarta
Inputs: Jakarta, Indonesia
Result: ≈ 295° (west-north-west) toward Mecca
Glossary
- Kaaba
- The cube-shaped structure at the centre of Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia; the most sacred site in Islam, located at approximately 21.4225°N, 39.8262°E.
- Great-circle bearing
- The initial compass heading along the shortest path between two points on the surface of a sphere, computed using the spherical trigonometry formula for azimuth.
- Magnetic declination
- The angle between true geographic north and magnetic north at a given location; it must be accounted for when using a physical compass to find the Qibla.
- Rhumb line (loxodrome)
- A path on the globe that crosses every meridian at the same angle, maintaining a constant compass bearing; it is longer than the great-circle path except on the equator.
Related reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use Qibla Direction Finder?
- Computes the great-circle bearing to the Kaaba using spherical trigonometry for maximum accuracy
- Displays the bearing in degrees from true north alongside a visual compass overlay
- Shows the great-circle arc to Mecca on an interactive map to visualise the global direction
- Accepts a typed city name or automatic GPS coordinates to determine your bearing instantly
Common use cases
- Find the Qibla direction from a hotel room abroad to orient yourself correctly for prayer
- Verify the prayer direction marked on a mosque mat against the calculated great-circle bearing
- Understand why the Qibla from New York points northeast rather than southeast toward Mecca
- Determine the bearing to the Kaaba from a remote location where a local mosque is unavailable
- Adjust a physical compass reading for local magnetic declination to align with the true-north Qibla bearing
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