Qibla Direction in the UK: Bearing, Compass and the Sun Over the Kaaba

From London the Qibla is 119.0° from true north, which is east-south-east: 116.3° to 119.5° across our 12 cities. It is not south-east (135°) and it is nowhere near due south, which is where many people first look. This guide gives the bearing for each city, explains why a flat map misleads, and shows how to check the direction with a compass, or with the sun on two days a year when it is directly above the Kaaba.

The Qibla is a direction fixed by geometry, so there is no methodology choice in it. For the direction in your mosque or home, follow the guidance of your mosque or a scholar.

Qibla direction from 12 UK cities#

Bearings are measured clockwise from true north along the shortest path (the great circle) to the Kaaba in Makkah. They are calculated with the same formula as our Qibla page, and we checked each one against a second, independent formula.

Why it is not south-east#

The Qur'an says: "So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram" (2:144, Saheeh International). On a globe the shortest route from the UK to Makkah curves south-east: Wikipedia notes that the most common technical definition used by Muslim astronomers is the direction on the great circle, "the direction of the shortest possible path from a place to the Kaaba", and that the majority of Muslims follow the great circle method.

A straight line on a flat (Mercator) map gives a different answer, the rhumb line, which Wikipedia says a minority of Muslims use. For London that line points at 133.8° against 119.0° on the great circle, about 15° apart, and for Edinburgh at 136.8° against 119.5°, about 17° apart. That is why a flat map seems to point almost due south-east, and why we give the great-circle bearing.

Finding it with a compass or phone#

• True north and magnetic north differ. The British Geological Survey explains that true north is the direction to the geographic north pole, while magnetic north is the direction a compass needle points. A compass or phone reading therefore needs a small correction, called the magnetic declination. BGS provides a declination calculator.

• Use true north if your phone offers it. If it only gives magnetic north, apply the declination for your location and the year.

• Keep the phone flat and away from metal and magnets. Cases with magnets and nearby steel can shift a reading.

Our Qibla finder works out the bearing in your browser from your location, and your location is not sent to us.

The sun over the Kaaba#

Twice a year the sun is directly above the Kaaba. Wikipedia gives the dates and times as 27 and 28 May at 12:18 Saudi Arabia Standard Time (09:18 UTC), and 15 and 16 July at 12:27 (09:27 UTC). Our own solar calculation puts the 2027 moments at 09:18 UTC on 28 May and 09:27 UTC on 16 July, which agrees. In the UK clocks, that is:

• 28 May 2027 at 10:18 BST (09:18 UTC);

• 16 July 2027 at 10:27 BST (09:27 UTC).

At that moment the sun is in the Qibla direction, so the shadow of a vertical stick points the opposite way. The sun stands about 47° above the horizon in London and about 43° in Edinburgh (calculated from the distance to the Kaaba, ignoring atmospheric refraction), so the sky needs to be clear. A few minutes either way makes only a small difference to the direction, and the check has to be done outdoors, on a level surface.

Before you rely on it#

• Your mosque's prayer hall has its own orientation, which the community has set. Follow it.

• A bearing is a direction to within a degree or two with a phone. For a fixed prayer space, ask your mosque or a scholar to confirm it.

• For prayer times, see the list of UK cities, and our methodology.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the Qibla direction in London?#

119.0° clockwise from true north, east-south-east, 4,794 km to the Kaaba along the shortest path.

Is the Qibla south-east in the UK?#

No. South-east is 135°, and the Qibla from our cities is between 116.3° and 119.5°, which is east-south-east.

Why do some maps and apps give a different direction?#

Some use a straight line on a flat map (a rhumb line) instead of the shortest path on the globe. From London that gives 133.8° against 119.0°, about 15° apart.

When is the sun over the Kaaba in 2027?#

28 May at 10:18 BST and 16 July at 10:27 BST in the UK; Wikipedia also lists 27 May and 15 July.

Does a phone compass show true north?#

A magnetic compass shows magnetic north, which differs from true north by the magnetic declination. Check what your app uses.

Is this a fatwa?#

No. It is a calculation. For the direction in your mosque or home, ask a scholar or your mosque.