We compute the initial great-circle bearing from your city to the Ka'bah — the same direction a plane would fly for the shortest route. On a flat map this line often curves, which is why the Qibla from East Asia points west-northwest, and from North America it points northeast across the pole. The maths is standard spherical geometry; the arrow you see is accurate to the degree.
Direction of prayer
Qibla
Finder.
The Qibla is the direction Muslims face during prayer — toward the Ka'bah in Makkah (21.422°N, 39.826°E). Below is the exact great-circle bearing from 14 cities. Open any card for a live compass that aligns as you rotate your phone.
Location
Singapore
NESW
🕋
Bearing
293.0°WNW
Distance
7,274KM
Cities (14)
Bearing · Distance
How it works
Frequently Asked
How is the Qibla direction calculated?+
We use the great-circle (spherical) initial bearing formula — the shortest path across Earth's surface from your city to the Ka'bah in Makkah (21.4225°N, 39.8262°E). This is the standard method recognised by every major religious authority and is accurate to the degree for any point on Earth.
Why isn't the Qibla simply "toward Makkah on the map"?+
Flat maps distort the Earth. A straight line on a Mercator projection is not the shortest path — the actual great-circle route often curves noticeably on a flat map. For cities far from Makkah (like North America), this difference can be tens of degrees. Our bearings follow the true spherical geometry.
Does the live compass work on my device?+
On modern smartphones (iOS Safari and Android Chrome), yes — tap "Enable compass" on any Qibla page. iOS asks for motion-sensor permission once. On desktops and tablets without a magnetometer, the static bearing is shown and you can use any physical compass.
Why does the arrow point in a direction I didn't expect?+
For locations in East Asia, the Qibla often points west-northwest (not southwest, as one might guess from a flat map). For locations in the Americas, it often points east or northeast across the pole. These are the correct great-circle directions.
Related tools