Qibla direction in Mauritania
The Qibla in Mauritania lies towards the east. Depending on the city the angle from true north ranges from 74.6° in Sélibaby to 81.0° in Zouérat, and the Kaaba is between 4,830 km and 5,862 km away. The table gives the exact bearing for 28 cities.
Stand facing true north, then turn clockwise by the angle of your city. A phone compass shows magnetic north, which in Mauritania 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 6.4°. Mbera is the closest to the Kaaba (4,830 km) and Nouadhibou the farthest (5,862 km). The farther apart two cities are, the more their bearings to Makkah diverge, which is why the angle of the capital, 76.5°, 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 Mauritania: questions
What is the Qibla direction in Nouakchott?
76.5° from true north, towards the east, 5,822 km from the Kaaba.
Which city in Mauritania is closest to Makkah?
Mbera, 4,830 km from the Kaaba, among the 28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akjoujt | 78.0° | east | 5,618 km |
| Aleg | 76.0° | east | 5,637 km |
| Arafat | 76.5° | east | 5,822 km |
| Atar | 78.9° | east | 5,464 km |
| Ayoun El Atrous | 76.0° | east | 5,203 km |
| Bogué | 75.6° | east | 5,685 km |
| Bougadoum | 75.4° | east | 4,993 km |
| Boutilimitt | 76.3° | east | 5,704 km |
| Dar Naim | 76.5° | east | 5,816 km |
| El ’Ayoûn | 74.9° | east | 5,396 km |
| Elghabra | 75.7° | east | 5,519 km |
| Guerou | 76.2° | east | 5,443 km |
| Kaédi | 75.3° | east | 5,619 km |
| Kiffa | 75.8° | east | 5,389 km |
| Ksar | 76.5° | east | 5,819 km |
| Magṭa‘ Laḥjar | 76.4° | east | 5,540 km |
| Mbera | 75.4° | east | 4,830 km |
| Néma | 76.1° | east | 4,961 km |
| Nouadhibou | 78.5° | east | 5,862 km |
| Nouakchott | 76.5° | east | 5,822 km |
| Rosso | 75.4° | east | 5,847 km |
| Sélibaby | 74.6° | east | 5,512 km |
| Tékane | 75.5° | east | 5,797 km |
| Tembedgha | 75.7° | east | 5,066 km |
| Tevragh Zeina | 76.5° | east | 5,823 km |
| Tidjikja | 77.5° | east | 5,342 km |
| Ṭinṭâne | 75.7° | east | 5,268 km |
| Zouérat | 81.0° | east | 5,362 km |