Qibla Direction
Wherever you are, face the Kaaba with confidence. Choose a city or enter your coordinates — the exact bearing and a visual compass, free.
Face this direction during prayer. On a physical compass, find the bearing and turn until the needle points to it. In many masjids the prayer carpet marks the qibla — use this tool for travel and new homes.
How qibla works
One fixed point
Every Muslim faces the same building — the Kaaba in Mecca (21.42°N, 39.83°E). No matter where you pray, the direction is the shortest great-circle route to it.
One angle
From London it's about 119°, from New York ~57°, from Sydney ~278°. The bearing stays constant for a fixed location — learn it once, use it forever.
Forgiveness for mistakes
If you pray slightly off direction, know that the Prophet taught: "Whatever direction you face, there is Allah's face." Do your best and don't worry.
Qibla questions, answered
Can I use my phone's compass?
Yes — many mosque apps include a compass, and you can use a basic compass app with the bearing from this tool. Move away from metal and electronics for an accurate reading.
What if I'm in a plane or train?
Pray towards the qibla as best you can — the bearing updates as you travel. If it is not possible, pray in any direction; your intention is what counts.
Is the angle different for masjids?
Masjids are built facing qibla, so aligning with the rows of the prayer hall is the surest guide. This tool is for anywhere else.
Is this tool free?
Yes — completely free, offline-capable, nothing uploaded.
Related Islamic tools
Why the qibla matters
The qibla is the single direction that ties the prayer of every Muslim on earth to one place. Wherever you live, your sujood turns toward the same building — the Kaaba in Makkah, at 21.42 degrees north and 39.83 degrees east. Most of the time you never think about it: the masjid already faces it, and you simply line up behind the imam. The question only resurfaces away from familiar ground — a hotel room on a work trip, a new apartment, an airport lounge, a campsite far from any mosque. This page exists for those moments.
Choose one of the thirteen cities in the list — New York, London, Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, Sydney, Paris, Berlin, Istanbul, Dubai, Karachi or Jakarta — and the page shows the exact bearing from that city to the Kaaba, beside a compass dial that points it out in red. If your location is not listed, type in your own latitude and longitude and the bearing updates as you type, so the tool works almost anywhere on earth.
How to find your bearing
Under a minute, from choice to direction.
Choose your starting point
Pick a city from the list, or enter your exact latitude and longitude in the two boxes for a place that is not listed.
Read the angle
The large number is your qibla bearing in degrees from true north. The compass dial beside it shows the same direction visually.
Turn to face it
On a phone compass, turn until the dial reads the bearing. On a physical compass, rotate yourself until north points where north should.
Settle and pray
Line out your rug, make your intention, and begin. Small errors of a few degrees are forgiven by the mercy built into this worship.
A few things people ask us
True north, not magnetic north
Compass needles point to magnetic north, which drifts slightly from the true north this bearing uses. A phone compass app handles the offset for you; on a basic compass, allow a few degrees of tolerance.
Calibrate away from metal
Steel beams, fridges and laptops pull a needle off course. Step a few paces into the open, away from large metal objects, before trusting a phone compass reading.
The bearing is fixed at home
For a given location the angle never changes. Work it out once for your home city and you will rarely need the tool again — only when you travel.
Masjids are already aligned
When you are inside a mosque, follow the rows of the prayer hall. They face the qibla already; this tool is for everywhere else.
Qibla questions, expanded
What is the Qibla direction?
Qibla is the direction Muslims face during prayer — toward the Kaaba in Makkah. It is not the same angle everywhere; it changes by location, because the straight line from your city to Makkah runs over the curved surface of the earth. This tool works out that exact bearing from whichever city or coordinates you give it.
How is the Qibla angle calculated?
The bearing is worked out with spherical trigonometry — the shortest great-circle arc from your location to the Kaaba at 21.4225 degrees north, 39.8262 degrees east. That is why the angle is precise to a fraction of a degree, and why it stays constant for a fixed place.
Is this tool free?
Yes. It is completely free, runs offline in your browser once the page has loaded, and nothing about your location is uploaded anywhere.
Why does my compass show a slightly different angle?
Two things are usually at work: magnetic declination (the gap between magnetic north and true north), and nearby metal or electronics skewing the needle. Move away from metal, let your phone compass calibrate, and re-check. A degree or two of difference does not affect the acceptance of the prayer.
My city is not in the list — what should I do?
Type your latitude and longitude into the two boxes. You can find them from any maps app by long-pressing your location. The bearing recalculates the moment the numbers are in, so the tool covers almost anywhere.
Direction set — now the rest of the day
Facing the right wall is only the beginning. Keep the five prayers on schedule alongside it on the Prayer Times page →, and if the reason you need this bearing is a trip for Umrah or Hajj, walk through the rites and packing on the Hajj & Umrah checklist →.
From qibla to daily practice
Face the right direction — then build the habit. The 30-Day Quran Journal gives you one page of reflection for every day of Ramadan.
Qibla angles are computed from your coordinates and are accurate for practical purposes — when in doubt, follow your local masjid.