Qibla direction in Iceland
The Qibla in Iceland lies towards the east. Depending on the city the angle from true north ranges from 105.4° in Reykjanesbaer to 114.3° in Egilsstaðir, and the Kaaba is between 6,225 km and 6,631 km away. The table gives the exact bearing for 11 cities.
Stand facing true north, then turn clockwise by the angle of your city. A phone compass shows magnetic north, which in Iceland 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 8.9°. Egilsstaðir is the closest to the Kaaba (6,225 km) and Isafjordur the farthest (6,631 km). The farther apart two cities are, the more their bearings to Makkah diverge, which is why the angle of the capital, 106.2°, 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 Iceland: questions
What is the Qibla direction in Reykjavik?
106.2° from true north, towards the east, 6,516 km from the Kaaba.
Which city in Iceland is closest to Makkah?
Egilsstaðir, 6,225 km from the Kaaba, among the 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akureyri | 110.8° | east | 6,400 km |
| Borgarnes | 106.4° | east | 6,529 km |
| Egilsstaðir | 114.3° | south-east | 6,225 km |
| Hafnarfjordur | 106.1° | east | 6,516 km |
| Isafjordur | 106.1° | east | 6,631 km |
| Keflavik | 105.4° | east | 6,543 km |
| Kopavogur | 106.1° | east | 6,516 km |
| Reykjanesbaer | 105.4° | east | 6,543 km |
| Reykjavik | 106.2° | east | 6,516 km |
| Sauðarkrokur | 109.3° | east | 6,469 km |
| Selfoss | 106.9° | east | 6,467 km |