How to Find the Qibla: Compass, Sun and Qibla Angle Guide
The qibla is the direction of the Kaaba, which Muslims face in prayer. To find the direction from a place far from Mecca you need two things: to know the direction from where you are to the Kaaba as an angle, and to be able to mark that angle against a correct reference direction (true north). The most common mistake is the second one: mistaking the magnetic compass for true north.
For information only. For religious rulings, consult the Diyanet (Alo 190 Fatwa Line).
How is the qibla angle calculated?
Because the Earth is spherical, the shortest path between two points is not a straight line on a flat map but an arc of a great circle. The qibla angle is the angle, measured clockwise from true north, of the starting direction of the great-circle arc from your location to the Kaaba. The coordinates of the Kaaba are approximately 21.4225° north, 39.8262° east. An angle of zero degrees points north, ninety degrees east and 180 degrees south.
For Istanbul this angle is about 151.6°, meaning the direction is close to southeast. At the same point, the straight line on map apps (Web Mercator projection) shows about 154.8°, producing a deviation of about 3 degrees; this is why the great-circle angle should be used for the qibla.
| Provincial center | Qibla angle (from true north) | Distance to the Kaaba |
|---|---|---|
| İstanbul | 151.6° | 2,405 km |
| Ankara | 160.2° | 2,162 km |
| İzmir | 143.7° | 2,246 km |
| Bursa | 150.8° | 2,322 km |
| Konya | 156.9° | 1,960 km |
| Erzurum | 184.2° | 2,059 km |
| Şanlıurfa | 176.5° | 1,753 km |
| Edirne | 147.1° | 2,572 km |
Geographic north vs. magnetic north
Qibla angles are given relative to true (geographic) north. A compass needle, however, follows the Earth's magnetic field, and magnetic north deviates from true north by a few degrees depending on your location and the year. This difference is called magnetic declination. For Turkey the declination is a few degrees to the east; for Istanbul it is taken to be about 6° east. If you face 151.6° without correcting for it, an error of about 6° results.
Smartphones usually show true north by correcting the magnetic sensor's reading with a declination model. Check in the settings whether your compass app is in "true north" mode; if the app does not say which north it uses, verify the result against another source.
How do you calibrate a phone compass?
- Keep the phone away from magnetic cases, magnetic mounts, speakers, large metal objects and electrical devices; these distort the magnetic field.
- Open the compass app. If a calibration prompt appears, rotate the phone through every axis as if drawing a figure 8 in the air.
- Hold the phone flat, parallel to the ground. If it is held tilted, the needle may not show the right direction.
- Turn on location services so that the app can calculate the declination for your location.
- Turn around two or three times, face the same direction again and check whether the result is consistent. If it comes out different each time, repeat the calibration or try in an open area rather than inside a building.
Finding the qibla with the sun
At a particular moment of the day, the sun lies exactly in the direction of the qibla or in line with it. At such a moment the shadow of a stick falls in the direction opposite the qibla. This moment is different for each day and each city and must be calculated daily; as an example, for Istanbul on 9 October 2026 it is about 11:24. Since it is independent of the phone compass, finding the qibla with the sun is a good way to verify the compass.
Twice a year: the sun directly above the Kaaba
Twice a year the sun reaches its zenith over Mecca: around 27–28 May and 15–16 July. Because Turkey's time is the same as Mecca's (UTC+3), this moment is around 12:18 (28 May) and 12:27 (16 July) Turkey time. At that moment the direction of the sun's position shows the qibla direction anywhere on Earth where the sun is shining; the shadow of a vertical object falls exactly opposite the qibla. This is one of the scientifically sound methods for checking the qibla without needing a compass. The minutes are approximate values; check an astronomy source for the exact moment.
The other moments when the sun is in the direction of the qibla are different in each city and change every day. When determining direction by the shadow method, choose an hour when you can see the shadow long and clear; place the stick perpendicular to a flat surface and draw a reference line. If the compass and the sun method differ by more than a few degrees, recalibrate your compass.
Mosques and fixed structures
In the mosque where you are, the mihrab shows the qibla; the direction of a mosque's mihrab is generally established architecturally, so there is no need to look for the direction with a phone compass instead. In situations such as a hotel room, travel or a new home, you can use the methods above to find the qibla. For religious questions such as the ruling on a deviation of a few degrees in determining direction, consult Diyanet (Alo 190 Fatwa Line).
Frequently asked questions
What is the qibla angle in Istanbul?
For Istanbul the qibla angle is about 151.6° from true north (a direction close to southeast). The great-circle distance to the Kaaba is about 2,407 km.
Why does the phone compass show the wrong direction?
The magnetic sensor is affected by nearby magnets, metal and electrical devices; also, magnetic north deviates a few degrees from true north. Calibration and the true-north setting reduce this error.
Why is the qibla line on the map app different?
Because of the projection, a line drawn on a flat map can deviate a few degrees from the great-circle direction. For the qibla, the initial great-circle angle should be used.
Sources
- Great-circle (haversine and initial bearing) formulas: standard spherical trigonometry; Kaaba coordinates 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E
- Diyanet (Presidency of Religious Affairs), Alo 190 Fatwa Line and the kurul.diyanet.gov.tr fatwa archive (for religious questions)
For information only. For religious rulings, consult the Diyanet (Alo 190 Fatwa Line).
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