When Muslims pray, they do not face any direction they choose: they all turn toward one point on earth, the Kaaba in Mecca. This direction is called the Qibla. From a mosque in Jakarta to a living room in Toronto, every worshipper orients toward the same sacred house, so that the community stands, in a sense, as a single body. This article explains the Qibla and the practical ways to find it.
The Kaaba and the meaning of the Qibla
The Kaaba is the cube-shaped building at the heart of Two Holy Mosques in Mecca, which Muslims believe to be the first house built for the worship of the one God. In the early years of Islam the first Qibla was Jerusalem; roughly a year and a half after the migration to Medina, the Quran directed the community to turn instead toward Mecca, and it has been the Qibla ever since. Facing it is a condition of valid prayer, though scholars stress that sincerity matters more than perfect precision, one need only face the Kaaba as accurately as one reasonably can.
The mihrab: the Qibla inside the mosque
You never have to guess the direction inside a mosque. Every mosque marks the Qibla with a mihrab, a decorative niche set into the wall facing Mecca. Worshippers line up in rows parallel to that wall, and the imam leads from in front of the niche. The mihrab is one of the defining features of Islamic architecture; you can read about it and other elements in our guide to the parts of a mosque explained.
How to find the Qibla
Away from a mosque, there are several reliable methods:
- Compass and bearing, find the compass bearing to Mecca for your city, then face that direction (remember to allow for magnetic declination);
- The sun, twice a year the sun stands directly over the Kaaba, and traditional methods use the sun's position and shadows to work out the direction;
- Apps and online tools, a smartphone Qibla finder uses your location and the phone's compass to point the way.
Because the earth is round, the true Qibla follows the shortest great-circle path, which can feel surprising, from parts of North America, for example, Mecca lies to the north-east rather than the east.
Finding the Qibla with MosqueFinder
MosqueFinder helps you orient wherever you are. Many mosque pages show the Qibla direction for that location, alongside five daily prayers (Salah) times. Use the directory to find mosques nearby, or open the the interactive map to see them around you.