Qibla direction in Madinah
176.29° from true north · south · 339 km to the Kaaba
In short
The qibla from Madinah is 176.29° from true north, towards the south. Simply face south and turn 4° to the left. The Kaaba is about 339 km away. Without a compass, use the sun: on 28 May 2027 at 12:18 PM GMT+3 it stands directly above the Kaaba, so face the sun.
176.29°
Gold arc = 4° from south to the qibla
Three ways to face the qibla from Madinah
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1. Phone compass
Open a compass app, move the phone in a figure of 8 to calibrate, keep it away from metal, then turn until the compass reads 176°.
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2. Start from south
Face south, then turn 4° to the left. A right angle is 90°, so 4° is about a tenth of a right angle.
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3. The sun's shadow
Twice a year the sun is directly above the Kaaba. At that moment the shadow of any upright object points directly away from the qibla.
Sun over the Kaaba, 2027
- · 12:18 PM GMT+3
- · 12:27 PM GMT+3
Keeping the compass accurate
- Remove magnetic cases and keep the phone away from laptops, speakers and steel frames.
- Hold the phone flat. A compass points to magnetic north, while the degrees on this page are measured from true north, so the reading can differ slightly.
- Compare with the direction of the rows in a nearby mosque.
Qibla direction in nearby cities
| City | Distance from Madinah | Qibla |
|---|---|---|
| Sultanah | 4 km | 175.8° |
| Badr Hunayn | 113 km | 157.7° |
| Yanbu | 163 km | 148.3° |
| Mahd adh Dhahab | 168 km | 205.4° |
| Rabigh | 195 km | 151.8° |
| Umluj | 245 km | 146.3° |
| Thuwal | 248 km | 142.3° |
Frequently asked questions
What is the qibla direction from Madinah in degrees?
176.29° from true north, measured clockwise — towards the south.
How can I find the qibla without a compass?
Face south and turn 4° to the left. More precisely, when the sun is directly above the Kaaba the qibla is the direction towards the sun.
When is the sun over the Kaaba in 2027, in Madinah time?
28 May 2027 at 12:18 PM GMT+3 and 16 July 2027 at 12:27 PM GMT+3.
What is the difference between true north and compass north?
True north points to the geographic North Pole. A compass needle points to the magnetic pole, which is in a slightly different place, so a compass reading can differ from the degrees on this page.
Do I need to share my location to see the qibla?
No. The qibla on this page is calculated from the coordinates of the centre of Madinah, so you only need to pick a city.
Sources & method
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Kaaba coordinates · 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E
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Madinah coordinates · 24.4686; 39.6142 (city centre) · GeoNames (geonames.org), CC BY 4.0
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Formula · Great-circle azimuth from true north