About the direction from Paris
Paris lies south and east of London, which changes the initial great-circle direction toward Makkah. The Seine curves through the city; river direction is not a substitute for true north.
How to face 119° in Paris
- Find true north using a phone compass that reports true heading or a map aligned to north.
- Turn clockwise from north by 119°. 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 Paris.
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 Paris?
From the approximate city center of Paris, the Qibla is 119.2° clockwise from true north, roughly east-southeast.
How far is Paris from the Kaaba?
About 4,496 km along the great circle, the shortest path over the Earth's surface.
Does the bearing change across Paris?
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.