Qibla direction in Afghanistan
The Qibla in Afghanistan lies towards the west. Depending on the city the angle from true north ranges from 240.2° in Eslam Qaleh to 253.6° in Khost, and the Kaaba is between 2,435 km and 3,455 km away. The table gives the exact bearing for 64 cities.
Stand facing true north, then turn clockwise by the angle of your city. A phone compass shows magnetic north, which in Afghanistan can differ from true north by a few degrees; our Qibla finder corrects this automatically when your phone reports true heading.
Why the Qibla changes across the country
Between the cities in the table the Qibla angle varies by 13.4°. Zaranj is the closest to the Kaaba (2,435 km) and Baharak the farthest (3,455 km). The farther apart two cities are, the more their bearings to Makkah diverge, which is why the angle of the capital, 250.8°, should not be used everywhere.
Inside a mosque, the mihrab already shows the Qibla. Elsewhere, a compass app, the position of the sun or our Qibla finder can be used; scholars agree that facing the general direction is enough when the exact angle cannot be known.
Qibla in Afghanistan: questions
What is the Qibla direction in Kabul?
250.8° from true north, towards the west, 3,213 km from the Kaaba.
Which city in Afghanistan is closest to Makkah?
Zaranj, 2,435 km from the Kaaba, among the 64 cities listed.
Does a phone compass show the right Qibla?
Only if it is calibrated and corrected for magnetic declination. Turn the phone in a figure 8 and keep it away from metal; our Qibla finder uses the true heading when the phone provides it.
| City | Qibla | Direction | Distance to Makkah |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andkhoy | 241.7° | south-west | 2,986 km |
| Ārt Khwājah | 246.9° | south-west | 3,341 km |
| Asadabad | 252.2° | west | 3,396 km |
| Asmar | 252.2° | west | 3,420 km |
| Aybak | 246.5° | south-west | 3,185 km |
| Baghlan | 247.6° | west | 3,237 km |
| Bagrām | 250.1° | west | 3,237 km |
| Baharak | 248.6° | west | 3,455 km |
| Balkh | 244.4° | south-west | 3,117 km |
| Bamyan | 248.8° | west | 3,108 km |
| Barakī | 251.5° | west | 3,170 km |
| Baraki Barak | 251.5° | west | 3,173 km |
| Bazarak | 249.8° | west | 3,271 km |
| Charikar | 250.0° | west | 3,231 km |
| Eslam Qaleh | 240.2° | south-west | 2,543 km |
| Farah | 246.6° | south-west | 2,516 km |
| Fayroz Koh | 246.3° | south-west | 2,878 km |
| Fayzabad | 248.1° | west | 3,433 km |
| Gardez | 252.4° | west | 3,185 km |
| Gereshk | 250.8° | west | 2,709 km |
| Ghazni | 251.7° | west | 3,112 km |
| Ghormach | 242.1° | south-west | 2,816 km |
| Herat | 242.5° | south-west | 2,617 km |
| Istalif | 250.2° | west | 3,216 km |
| Jabal Saraj | 249.8° | west | 3,240 km |
| Jalalabad | 252.3° | west | 3,320 km |
| Jurm | 248.8° | west | 3,443 km |
| Kabul | 250.8° | west | 3,213 km |
| Kandahar | 252.5° | west | 2,804 km |
| Karukh | 242.8° | south-west | 2,655 km |
| Khanabad | 247.1° | south-west | 3,294 km |
| Khanashin | 252.7° | west | 2,594 km |
| Khāsh | 249.3° | west | 2,540 km |
| Khost | 253.6° | west | 3,238 km |
| Khulm | 245.4° | south-west | 3,179 km |
| Kunduz | 246.8° | south-west | 3,275 km |
| Kushk | 244.4° | south-west | 2,544 km |
| Lashkar Gah | 251.1° | west | 2,683 km |
| Markaz-e Woluswalī-ye Āchīn | 253.0° | west | 3,333 km |
| Maydanshakhr | 250.7° | west | 3,181 km |
| Maymana | 243.1° | south-west | 2,906 km |
| Mazari Sharif | 244.7° | south-west | 3,132 km |
| Mehtar Lam | 251.6° | west | 3,308 km |
| Nahrin | 248.2° | west | 3,269 km |
| Nili | 248.9° | west | 2,919 km |
| Paghmān | 250.4° | west | 3,196 km |
| Parun | 251.1° | west | 3,396 km |
| Pul-e 'Alam | 251.5° | west | 3,180 km |
| Pul-e Khumri | 247.9° | west | 3,229 km |
| Qala i Naw | 242.6° | south-west | 2,725 km |
| Qalat | 252.8° | west | 2,928 km |
| Qarāwul | 245.9° | south-west | 3,290 km |
| Qarqin | 242.1° | south-west | 3,082 km |
| Rustaq | 247.2° | south-west | 3,372 km |
| Sang-e Chārak | 245.3° | south-west | 3,037 km |
| Sar-e Pul | 244.1° | south-west | 3,013 km |
| Shahrak | 245.9° | south-west | 2,780 km |
| Sharan | 252.7° | west | 3,127 km |
| Shibirghan | 243.0° | south-west | 3,021 km |
| Shindand | 244.6° | south-west | 2,561 km |
| Sidqabad | 250.1° | west | 3,246 km |
| Taloqan | 247.5° | west | 3,331 km |
| Tarinkot | 250.7° | west | 2,855 km |
| Zaranj | 249.5° | west | 2,435 km |