Prayer · · 6 min read
How to Find the Qibla Direction From Anywhere in the World
Wherever you are, every prayer faces the same place: the Kaaba in Makkah. Finding that direction takes nothing more than your location — and a little care with maps and compasses.
Short answer: The Qibla is the direction of the Kaaba in Makkah (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E), which Muslims face in prayer. From any city it is the shortest route over the globe to the Kaaba: about 119° from north in London, 58° in New York, 152° in Istanbul and 295° in Jakarta.
What the Qibla is
The qibla is the direction a Muslim faces in salah: towards the Kaaba, inside al-Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. In the first months after the Hijra the Prophet ﷺ prayed towards Jerusalem; then Allah revealed:
قَدۡ نَرَىٰ تَقَلُّبَ وَجۡهِكَ فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۖ فَلَنُوَلِّيَنَّكَ قِبۡلَةࣰ تَرۡضَىٰهَا ۚ فَوَلِّ وَجۡهَكَ شَطۡرَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ ۚ وَ حَيۡثُ مَا كُنتُمۡ فَوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمۡ شَطۡرَهُۥ ۗ وَ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ لَيَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡ ۗ وَ مَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا يَعۡمَلُونَ
When the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah … he offered his prayers facing Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) for sixteen or seventeen months, but he wished that he could pray facing the Ka‘bah. The first prayer which he offered facing the Ka‘bah was the ‘Asr prayer.
Since that day, Muslims everywhere pray towards the Kaaba — in a mosque, at home, or on a journey.
How the direction is calculated
The Earth is a sphere, so the Qibla is not a straight line on a flat map — it is the shortest path over the globe (a “great circle”) from your city to the Kaaba. It is given as an angle measured clockwise from true north:
- London — about 119° (south-east)
- Cairo — about 136°
- Istanbul — about 152°
- Tashkent — about 240° (south-west)
- Kuala Lumpur — about 293° and Jakarta — about 295° (west-north-west)
- New York — about 58° and Toronto — about 55° (north-east)
The last two surprise many people. On a flat world map Makkah looks south-east of North America, but the shortest route over the globe actually leaves towards the north-east, across the Atlantic. That is why mosques in the United States and Canada face north-east.
These angles are worked out from the Kaaba’s coordinates, 21.4225° N and 39.8262° E. Your exact direction depends on where you stand, so check it for your own location.
Using a phone compass correctly
A compass points to magnetic north, which can be several degrees away from true north. A good Qibla app corrects for this using your location. A few habits help it stay accurate:
- Allow location access, so the direction is calculated for where you actually are.
- Hold the phone flat, away from metal tables, speakers, magnets and car dashboards.
- If the needle seems unsteady, calibrate it by moving the phone in a figure-of-eight a few times.
- Turn slowly until the Kaaba lines up with the pointer, then put down your prayer mat.
Two days a year the sun shows the way
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba: around 28 May at 09:18 UTC and around 16 July at 09:27 UTC. At that moment, anywhere the sun is up, a vertical stick’s shadow points directly away from the Qibla — face the opposite way and you are facing the Kaaba. Many mosques have checked their direction this way for centuries.
What if you cannot be exact?
Someone who can see the Kaaba must face it exactly. For everyone else, scholars explain that facing its direction is what is required, and a small deviation does not spoil the prayer. About the people of Madinah, for whom Makkah lies to the south, the Prophet ﷺ said:
Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “What is between the east and the west is Qiblah.”
When you are unsure — travelling, or in an unfamiliar room — do your best with the means you have, and ask the local mosque when you can. For detailed rulings, ask a scholar you trust.
Frequently asked questions
Which direction is the Qibla?
The Qibla is the direction of the Kaaba in Makkah. It differs by city: about 119° from north in London, 58° in New York, 152° in Istanbul, 240° in Tashkent and 295° in Jakarta.
Why is the Qibla north-east in the USA and Canada?
Because the Earth is round. The shortest path from North America to Makkah over the globe heads north-east across the Atlantic, even though a flat map makes Makkah look south-east.
Is my prayer valid if the direction was slightly off?
Scholars explain that those who cannot see the Kaaba must face its direction, and a small deviation does not invalidate the prayer. For specific cases, ask a scholar.
