Qibla direction · Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Qibla direction in Makkah
Makkah is close to the Kaaba, so the direction changes from one neighborhood to the next. From the city-center point the finder uses, the bearing is 318.5° from true north and the Kaaba is about 5.0 km away.
- Qibla bearing
- 318.5° clockwise from true north
- Compass point
- Northwest
- Distance to the Kaaba
- About 5.0 km
- Reference point used
- 21.3891, 39.8579 (city center)
- Time zone
- Asia/Riyadh
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Your Qibla direction
Find a bearing toward the Kaaba. Location and sensor access are optional.
Bearing clockwise from true north. The dial is not tracking your phone.
How to face the Qibla in Makkah
The bearing is the initial direction of the shortest route over the globe from central Makkah to the Kaaba in Makkah, measured clockwise from true north. It comes from the same coordinates and calculation as the finder above (the Adhan library’s Qibla function).
- Find true north. Use a map app oriented to north, a landmark or a compass adjusted for local declination.
- Turn clockwise by 319°. Starting from north, turn 318.5° to your right. That faces roughly northwest.
- Check against a local reference. If a nearby mosque or prayer room has a marked direction, compare it with your result.
In Makkah, people pray toward the Kaaba itself, and nearby a straight line on the map can matter less than the building and the direction used by those around you. The figure above describes the finder’s city-center coordinate only.
True north, magnetic north and your phone
A map’s north is true north. A magnetic compass points to magnetic north, and the difference, called declination, depends on where you are and changes slowly over time. If you use a magnetic compass, look up the current declination for Makkah and adjust for it, or use the bearing with a north-oriented map instead.
Phone compasses combine magnetometer and motion sensors. Keep the phone flat, away from metal and magnets, and treat the reading as approximate. The finder above can use a supported phone’s compass, and it tells you when the heading is magnetic or unreliable.
A few useful answers
Qibla in Makkah: questions.
Which direction is the Qibla in Makkah?
From the center of Makkah, face 318.5° clockwise from true north, which is roughly northwest. Your own position within the city can change this slightly; use your location in the finder for a bearing at your position.
Do I need to correct a magnetic compass?
Yes, if you use a magnetic compass and want precision. The bearing here is from true north. Magnetic north differs by the local magnetic declination, which varies by place and year; NOAA publishes a declination calculator.
Can I rely on a phone compass?
Treat it as approximate. Phone sensors can be disturbed by metal, magnets, cases and nearby electronics. Cross-check with a map, a known landmark or the direction used by a local mosque.
Sources & further reading
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