Qibla · Capital Region
Qibla direction in Reykjavik
To face the Kaaba in Reykjavik, turn to 106.2° measured clockwise from true north, which is east (16.2° south of east). The Sacred Mosque in Mecca lies 6,516 km away along the shortest path over the globe, and this is the direction the mihrabs of the mosques in Reykjavik should follow.
Line up the top of your phone or compass with the green needle: it marks 106.2°, the Qibla of Reykjavik. Phone compasses usually display true north, so a reading of 106° is all you need; a needle compass reads magnetic north and needs the local declination added or subtracted first.
Find the Qibla with your phone
How to face the Qibla in Reykjavik
Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 16.2° towards south: the result is the bearing of 106.2°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at east would leave you about 16° off.
Facing the Qibla is a condition of the prayer. Whoever prays inside the Sacred Mosque faces the Kaaba itself; whoever is far away, as in Reykjavik, faces its direction and makes a sincere effort to be accurate. A nearby mosque is a handy reference, because its prayer rows were aligned when it was built. Once you know the direction at home, a discreet mark on the wall saves you from checking again.
Why a flat map shows a different direction
This is a place where maps mislead badly: a straight line on a flat map from Reykjavik to Mecca points to 135.3° (south-east), a full 29.1° away from the true Qibla of 106.2° (east). The map line keeps one compass heading and is 167 km longer than the great-circle route. Because the Earth is a sphere, the shortest way to Mecca from Reykjavik first heads east, and that is the direction to face.
How is the figure of 106.2° obtained? From the coordinates of Reykjavik (64.1355° N, 21.8954° W) and of the Kaaba (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E), spherical trigonometry gives the starting bearing of the great circle joining them. Mosque architects and astronomical Qibla tables rely on exactly the same calculation.
Distance from Reykjavik to Mecca and Medina
Mecca is 6,516 km from Reykjavik as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 6,204 km away. A direct flight would take roughly 8 h 10 min, although most pilgrims from Reykjavik connect through Jeddah or Medina airport.
Clocks in Reykjavik run 3 hours behind Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Reykjavik rather than those of Mecca.
Finding the Qibla with the sun in Reykjavik
On 207 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Reykjavik while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in May (31 days); for example, on 15 March 2027 it happens at 08:44 local time.
On 133 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in May (31 days), for instance on 1 May 2027 at 20:07.
| Date | Sun in the Qibla direction (face the sun) | Sun opposite (shadows point to the Qibla) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | — | — |
| 15 January 2027 | — | — |
| 1 February 2027 | — | — |
| 15 February 2027 | — | — |
| 1 March 2027 | — | — |
| 15 March 2027 | 08:44 | — |
| 1 April 2027 | 08:51 | — |
| 15 April 2027 | 08:57 | — |
| 1 May 2027 | 09:05 | 20:07 |
| 15 May 2027 | 09:12 | 19:59 |
| 1 June 2027 | 09:20 | 19:54 |
| 15 June 2027 | 09:25 | 19:54 |
| 1 July 2027 | 09:28 | 19:58 |
| 15 July 2027 | 09:27 | 20:03 |
| 1 August 2027 | 09:20 | 20:11 |
| 15 August 2027 | 09:10 | 20:17 |
| 1 September 2027 | 08:55 | — |
| 15 September 2027 | 08:40 | — |
| 1 October 2027 | 08:23 | — |
| 15 October 2027 | — | — |
| 1 November 2027 | — | — |
| 15 November 2027 | — | — |
| 1 December 2027 | — | — |
| 15 December 2027 | — | — |
Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Reykjavik: at 09:18 and 09:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.
Reykjavik compared with other cities
See all cities on the Qibla page for Iceland.
Qibla in Reykjavik: questions and answers
What is the Qibla direction in Reykjavik?
It is 106.2° from true north, which is east: 16.2° south of east.
How far is Reykjavik from Mecca?
6,516 km in a straight line over the globe, and 6,204 km to Medina.
When does the sun show the Qibla in Reykjavik?
On 207 days of 2027 the sun stands in the Qibla direction; the table on this page gives the exact time for the 1st and 15th of each month.
Why is the Qibla in Reykjavik not the direction shown on a map?
Flat maps distort directions. The line on a map points to 135.3°, but the shortest route on the globe leaves Reykjavik at 106.2°, and that is the Qibla.
Does the Qibla change during the year?
No. The direction of 106.2° is fixed; only the times when the sun lines up with it change from day to day.