This qibla direction calculator is provided by Hesapstan for users who want to estimate the direction of the Kaaba, qibla angle and approximate distance to the Kaaba from a city, current location or coordinates.
What does this qibla direction calculator calculate?
This calculator estimates the qibla direction from a selected city, current location or entered coordinates. It shows the qibla angle, approximate direction and approximate distance to the Kaaba.
- It can calculate qibla direction by selecting a Turkish city.
- It can use the user’s current location if browser permission is granted.
- It can calculate qibla direction from manually entered latitude and longitude.
- It shows the qibla angle measured clockwise from true north.
- It may display a simple direction label to make the angle easier to understand.
- It estimates the great-circle distance to the Kaaba.
This tool does not use the phone’s magnetic compass sensor as a live compass. The visual indicator represents the calculated qibla angle; it does not automatically rotate with the physical direction of the phone.
What is qibla direction?
Qibla direction is the geographic direction from a location toward the Kaaba in Mecca. It is the direction Muslims face during prayer.
Qibla direction is not the same in every city. Each location has its own latitude and longitude relationship with the Kaaba, so the qibla angle differs from city to city.
Qibla is calculated from your position toward the Kaaba. Moving to another city or even another part of a large city may slightly change the calculated angle.
How is qibla direction calculated?
Qibla direction is calculated by finding the great-circle bearing from the user’s location to the Kaaba. The result is usually shown as an angle measured clockwise from true north.
The calculation uses latitude and longitude. The starting point may come from a selected city, browser geolocation or manually entered coordinates.
If the selected city, GPS location or entered coordinates are inaccurate, the qibla angle will also be approximate or incorrect.
How does the Use my location option work?
The Use my location option asks the browser or device for your current latitude and longitude, then calculates qibla direction from that location.
- The browser may request location permission.
- GPS, Wi-Fi or network-based location may be used.
- Indoor location accuracy may be weaker.
- VPN, browser settings or device permissions may affect the result.
- If permission is not granted, city selection or coordinate input can be used instead.
Device location can vary depending on building structure, connection quality and sensor accuracy. For sensitive use, it may be useful to verify the direction with another reliable method.
Finding qibla by selecting a city
City mode calculates qibla direction from an approximate Turkish province-centre location. It is useful when the user does not want to allow location access or wants a quick city-based result.
Because the calculation is based on the city centre, districts, villages, neighbourhoods or specific addresses may have small differences.
For general direction within the same province, city mode may be practical. For a more specific location, current location or coordinate input can provide a more tailored result.
What does qibla angle mean?
Qibla angle is the direction of the Kaaba measured clockwise from true north. For example, an angle near 150° usually points roughly toward the southeast.
- 0° indicates north.
- 90° indicates east.
- 180° indicates south.
- 270° indicates west.
- Intermediate values correspond to directions such as northeast, southeast, southwest or northwest.
The displayed angle is a calculated geographic bearing. How you hold the phone, compass calibration and magnetic interference are separate issues.
How is distance to the Kaaba calculated?
Distance to the Kaaba is estimated as the great-circle distance between the user’s location and the coordinates of the Kaaba. It is a geographic surface distance, not a road distance.
This makes it closer to a direct geographic or flight-distance concept. It does not represent road distance, flight route, border crossing or actual travel distance.
Distance to the Kaaba helps explain the geographic relationship behind the qibla direction. For prayer, the practical output is the direction and angle.
True north and magnetic north
The qibla angle is calculated relative to true north. A physical compass or phone compass may point to magnetic north, which is not always exactly the same.
True north is based on the Earth’s rotation axis. Magnetic north is based on the Earth’s magnetic field. The difference between them is known as magnetic declination.
This tool provides the qibla bearing relative to true north and does not perform detailed magnetic declination correction. If using a physical compass, local magnetic declination and device calibration may affect the result.
Is the visual indicator a live compass?
The visual indicator is not a live compass. It is used to represent the calculated qibla angle visually; it does not continuously track the phone’s orientation sensor.
Do not expect the indicator to behave like a real-time compass when you rotate the device. Use the angle together with a map direction, reliable compass method or local confirmation when needed.
Physical and phone compasses can be affected by metal objects, reinforced concrete, electronics and magnetic fields. If possible, verify direction in an open area with a calibrated device.
Why does qibla direction change by city?
Qibla direction changes by city because each city has a different geographic relationship to the Kaaba. Even cities in the same country can point toward the Kaaba at different angles.
In Turkey, western and eastern cities do not have identical qibla angles. The general direction may look similar, but the exact bearing can differ.
Several locations may produce a similar direction label such as southeast. The exact degree value can still differ from one city to another.
Qibla direction example
For example, if the user selects Istanbul, the calculator estimates the direction from Istanbul’s approximate province-centre coordinates toward the Kaaba. The result is shown as qibla angle, direction label and approximate distance to the Kaaba.
If the user chooses current location instead, the calculation is based on the device-provided latitude and longitude rather than the city centre. This may be more useful in hotels, dormitories, workplaces or while travelling.
The actual result depends on the selected city, device location or entered coordinates. Read the angle and direction together rather than relying on a single visual cue.
Common mistakes
The most common qibla calculation mistakes come from treating the visual indicator as a live compass or treating a city-centre result as an exact address-level result.
- Assuming the visual indicator works like a live phone compass.
- Treating a city-centre result as exact for a specific address.
- Selecting the wrong city when location permission is disabled.
- Trusting GPS blindly when accuracy is weak.
- Ignoring the difference between true north and magnetic north.
- Using a phone compass indoors without checking interference.
- Interpreting distance to the Kaaba as road or travel distance.
What are the limits of this calculator?
This qibla direction calculator is for practical direction finding and information. Results depend on the selected city, entered coordinates or device location accuracy.
- It does not work as a live magnetic compass.
- It does not track physical phone orientation or sensor calibration.
- It does not perform detailed magnetic declination correction.
- It does not guarantee GPS accuracy.
- It does not measure indoor magnetic interference.
- It does not provide prayer times, adhan times or legal/religious rulings.
- Distance to the Kaaba is not road or flight-route distance.
In a new place, indoors or when device sensors are uncertain, it can be useful to confirm qibla direction with reliable local signs, mosque orientation, a map or another trusted method.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find qibla direction?
Qibla direction is found by calculating the geographic bearing from your location to the Kaaba. This tool can calculate it from a selected city, current location or coordinates.
What does qibla angle mean?
Qibla angle is the direction of the Kaaba measured clockwise from true north. A value near 150° usually indicates a direction close to southeast.
Is the visual qibla indicator a live compass?
No. It visually represents the calculated qibla angle. It does not continuously use the phone’s magnetic compass sensor.
Is using my current location more accurate?
It can be more specific than city selection, but GPS accuracy, indoor conditions, device settings and browser permission can affect the result.
Does this calculator show prayer times?
No. It only shows qibla direction, qibla angle and approximate distance to the Kaaba. It does not calculate prayer times or adhan times.