About the direction from Islamabad
The capital sits beneath the Margalla Hills on a planned grid. Because the city's sectors run at an angle to true north, street lines are a poor guide to the Qibla; use the bearing below measured from true north rather than following the roads.
How to face 256° in Islamabad
- Find true north using a phone compass that reports true heading or a map aligned to north.
- Turn clockwise from north by 256°. 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 Islamabad.
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 Islamabad?
From the approximate city center of Islamabad, the Qibla is 255.9° clockwise from true north, roughly west-southwest.
How far is Islamabad from the Kaaba?
About 3,528 km along the great circle, the shortest path over the Earth's surface.
Does the bearing change across Islamabad?
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.