About the direction from Cairo
Cairo lies north-west of Makkah across the Red Sea. The Qibla points south-east. Cairo's medieval astronomers wrote extensively on finding the Qibla, and the city's older mosques reflect several historical conventions.
How to face 136° in Cairo
- Find true north using a phone compass that reports true heading or a map aligned to north.
- Turn clockwise from north by 136°. 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 Cairo.
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 Cairo?
From the approximate city center of Cairo, the Qibla is 136.1° clockwise from true north, roughly southeast.
How far is Cairo from the Kaaba?
About 1,287 km along the great circle, the shortest path over the Earth's surface.
Does the bearing change across Cairo?
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.