Guide
How to Find the Qibla Direction with a Compass
The Qibla is the direction to the Kaaba in Mecca. Set your compass to true north and face the Qibla bearing for your location.
Updated September 16, 2026
The Qibla is the direction Muslims face during prayer: toward the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque in Mecca. A compass is the simplest way to find it, as long as you use the right kind of north.
What the Qibla direction is
The Qibla is not “roughly toward Saudi Arabia.” It is a precise bearing, an angle measured clockwise from north, that points along the shortest path over the curved surface of the Earth to the Kaaba. This is called the great-circle direction. On a flat wall map it can look surprising, but it is the correct direction to face.
The Kaaba sits at latitude 21.4225 N, longitude 39.8262 E. Your Qibla bearing depends on where you are:
| City | Approximate Qibla bearing |
|---|---|
| London | 119° (ESE) |
| New York | 58° (ENE) |
| Delhi | 267° (W) |
| Jakarta | 295° (WNW) |
These are approximate. Always use your own location for an exact figure.
Finding the Qibla with Online Compass
- Open Online Compass on your phone and start the compass.
- Tap True north. Qibla bearings are measured from true (geographic) north, and this option corrects for your local magnetic declination.
- Turn until your heading matches your city’s Qibla bearing. The top of your phone now points to the Qibla.
If you do not know your exact bearing, tap True north to share your location, then compare your heading against a Qibla figure for your city from a trusted source.
Why true north matters here
A plain magnetic compass points to magnetic north, which can be several degrees away from true north. Over the long distance to Mecca a few degrees of error still keeps you facing the right region, but using true north removes the error. That is why the True north setting, which applies the current World Magnetic Model for your location, is the right choice for the Qibla.
Tips for accuracy
- Hold the phone flat and keep it away from metal and electronics.
- Calibrate with a figure-8 motion if the reading drifts.
- Double-check against a known landmark or a second source when it matters.
For more on the two norths, see magnetic north vs true north.
Frequently asked questions
How is the Qibla direction calculated?
The Qibla is the initial great-circle bearing from your location to the Kaaba in Mecca (21.4225 N, 39.8262 E), measured clockwise from true north. Because the Earth is a sphere, this shortest-path bearing differs from a straight line drawn on a flat map.
Which north should I use for the Qibla, true or magnetic?
Use true north. Qibla bearings are given relative to geographic (true) north, so set your compass to True north, which corrects for magnetic declination, before you face the Qibla.