Qibla direction
Find the qibla, the direction of the Kaaba in Makkah, from wherever you are. On a phone, turn on the compass and turn until the Kaaba is at the top.
Choose where you are
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Use your location, or type your city, to see which way to face.
Hold your phone flat, away from metal, magnets and magnetic cases, and turn until the Kaaba is at the top. The dial turns green when you’re facing the qibla.
The compass needs calibrating: move your phone in a figure-eight a few times.
If you use your location, it’s used in your browser only and never sent to us. Privacy
The qibla from major cities
Clockwise from true north, along the shortest path over the globe.
| City | Qibla | Direction | To Makkah |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, US | 58° | East-northeast | 10,306 km |
| Chicago, US | 49° | Northeast | 11,146 km |
| Houston, US | 45° | Northeast | 12,574 km |
| Los Angeles, US | 24° | North-northeast | 13,424 km |
| Toronto, Canada | 55° | Northeast | 10,496 km |
| London, UK | 119° | East-southeast | 4,794 km |
| Birmingham, UK | 118° | East-southeast | 4,952 km |
| Manchester, UK | 118° | East-southeast | 5,025 km |
| Sydney, Australia | 277° | West | 13,236 km |
| Melbourne, Australia | 279° | West | 12,741 km |
| Dubai, UAE | 258° | West-southwest | 1,631 km |
| Cairo, Egypt | 136° | Southeast | 1,287 km |
| Istanbul, Türkiye | 152° | South-southeast | 2,405 km |
| Karachi, Pakistan | 268° | West | 2,800 km |
| Lahore, Pakistan | 260° | West | 3,598 km |
| Delhi, India | 266° | West | 3,825 km |
| Dhaka, Bangladesh | 278° | West | 5,172 km |
| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 293° | West-northwest | 6,974 km |
| Jakarta, Indonesia | 295° | West-northwest | 7,920 km |
| Lagos, Nigeria | 63° | East-northeast | 4,251 km |
Prayer times, with the qibla, for New York City, New Jersey and nearby.
Questions people ask
What is the qibla?
The qibla is the direction of the Kaaba, in al-Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, which Muslims face in every prayer. The Quran tells the believers to turn their faces toward al-Masjid al-Haram wherever they are (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:144).
Why does the qibla from America point northeast?
Because the Earth is round. The shortest path from North America to Makkah curves north over the Atlantic, so it sets off to the northeast, even though Makkah looks east-southeast on a flat map. This page uses that shortest path, a great circle, as most masjids in North America do. Some face southeast instead, following the straight line on a flat map.
How do I find the qibla with my phone?
Turn on the compass above, then turn until the Kaaba is at the top of the dial; it turns green when you’re facing the qibla. Or use the angle with your phone’s Compass app: on an iPhone, turn on Settings → Compass → Use True North, then turn until it shows the angle above.
How accurate is a phone’s compass?
A phone’s compass senses the Earth’s magnetic field, so metal, magnets and electronics nearby can pull it off by several degrees, and so can a case with magnets in it. Hold the phone flat, away from them. If the reading jumps around, move the phone in a figure-eight a few times to calibrate it, and check it against a direction you know, such as your masjid’s.
What’s the difference between magnetic north and true north?
A magnetic compass points to magnetic north, which isn’t the same as true north, and the difference depends on where you are: around New York, magnetic north is about 12° west of true north; in London, about 1° east. This page gives the reading for a magnetic compass too, and corrects its live compass for the difference, using NOAA’s World Magnetic Model.
Does this page use my location?
Only if you tap “Use my location” and allow it. The direction is worked out in your browser; your location is never sent to Raka or to anyone else, and it isn’t saved. If you type a city instead, this browser remembers the city for next time.