About the direction from Baghdad
Baghdad lies on the Tigris north of Makkah. The river meanders through the city; use the city-center bearing from true north rather than following the direction of the nearest riverbank.
How to face 200° in Baghdad
- Find true north using a phone compass that reports true heading or a map aligned to north.
- Turn clockwise from north by 200°. For reference, due east is 90°, south 180°, west 270°.
- If you use a magnetic compass, adjust for local magnetic declination; NOAA's declination calculator gives the current value for Baghdad.
The figure is the great-circle initial bearing, the standard approach described by Movable Type Scripts and the same idea behind Google's Qibla Finder. See how it works for the details.
Common questions
What is the Qibla direction in Baghdad?
From the approximate city center of Baghdad, the Qibla is 199.8° clockwise from true north, roughly south-southwest.
How far is Baghdad from the Kaaba?
About 1,396 km along the great circle, the shortest path over the Earth's surface.
Does the bearing change across Baghdad?
Yes. This figure uses the city center, not your exact position. The difference depends on your distance from the center and from Makkah; it can be noticeable in cities close to the Kaaba, especially Jeddah. Use the live finder for your own location.