At a glance
- Reykjavik, the capital: 106°, east-south-east, 6,516 km from the Kaaba.
- The Qibla turns by 5° across the country, from 105° in Reykjanesbaer to 111° in Akureyri.
- Closest to Makkah: Akureyri, 6,400 km. Farthest: Keflavik, 6,543 km.
- Around Reykjavik, a magnetic compass points about 11° west of true north (World Magnetic Model 2025, for 2026). On a needle compass, the Qibla there is about 117°.
Qibla from every city in Iceland
The largest cities, biggest first.
| City | Qibla | Direction | Distance to the Kaaba (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavik | 106° | east-south-east | 6,516 |
| Kopavogur | 106° | east-south-east | 6,516 |
| Hafnarfjordur | 106° | east-south-east | 6,516 |
| Reykjanesbaer | 105° | east-south-east | 6,543 |
| Akureyri | 111° | east-south-east | 6,400 |
| Keflavik | 105° | east-south-east | 6,543 |
Not on the list? Search any town or use your location on the live compass.
Reading these numbers
Each bearing is measured clockwise from true north along the shortest path over the globe, a great circle, which is how the Qibla is worked out. A flat map can mislead, because the Earth is round.
Phone compasses work best after calibrating with a figure-8, away from metal and magnetic cases. Our guide to finding the Qibla also covers the sun, the local mosque and praying when unsure.
Qibla in other countries
Belgium Czechia France Germany Italy Netherlands Poland Romania Russia Spain Ukraine United Kingdom
City data: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Magnetic declination: the World Magnetic Model 2025 (NOAA and the British Geological Survey).