Qibla finder / United Kingdom

Qibla direction from Nottingham, 119.2° east-southeast.

From Nottingham, face 119.2° clockwise from true north to face the Kaaba in Makkah, 4,933 km away. With a magnetic compass, face 118.4°.

Qibla from Nottingham119.2°

east-southeast (ESE), from true north

Distance to the Kaaba
4,933 km (3,065 miles)
Magnetic compass bearing
118.4°
Magnetic declination
0.8° east
City centre
52.9536, -1.1505

How to face the qibla

Stand with a compass and turn until it reads 118.4°. That is 119.2° from true north, adjusted for the 0.8° east magnetic declination in Nottingham. Or open the live compass on your phone.

Worked out for the centre of Nottingham. Across the city the direction changes by less than a degree.

Guide

Why the qibla is east-southeast from Nottingham.

The qibla is the direction of the Kaaba, measured along the shortest path over the globe. From Nottingham that path leaves heading east-southeast, at 119.2° from true north. Flat maps distort this route, so it can look wrong on a map even though it is the true direction.

A compass points to magnetic north, which in Nottingham is 0.8° east of true north this year, by the World Magnetic Model 2025. That is why the compass bearing, 118.4°, differs from the true bearing.

Hanafi position

Someone far from Makkah faces the direction (jihah) of the Kaaba. A small turn to the left or right does not affect the prayer, and a prayer made after a genuine effort stays valid even if you later learn you were slightly off.

Other madhhabs
Shafi'i
The stronger view is to aim at the Kaaba itself by your best effort, even from far away.
Maliki, Hanbali
Facing the direction is enough, as in the Hanafi school.

Qibla from other cities in United Kingdom

CityQiblaDirection
London119.0°ESE
Birmingham118.0°ESE
Manchester118.5°ESE
Bradford119.3°ESE
Leicester118.9°ESE
Luton119.0°ESE
Glasgow118.3°ESE
Sheffield119.2°ESE
Leeds119.5°ESE
Liverpool117.6°ESE
Doncaster119.7°ESE
Coventry118.3°ESE
Stoke-on-Trent118.1°ESE
Edinburgh119.5°ESE
Rochdale118.7°ESE
Blackburn118.4°ESE
Ilford119.3°ESE
Bolton118.3°ESE
Oldham118.6°ESE
Watford118.8°ESE
Cambridge119.9°ESE
Hounslow118.7°ESE
Maidenhead118.4°ESE
Newcastle120.4°ESE
Sunderland120.6°ESE
Croydon118.9°ESE
Swindon117.2°ESE
Walsall117.9°ESE
Swansea115.0°ESE
High Wycombe118.4°ESE
Aberdeen121.7°ESE
Gloucester117.0°ESE
Norwich121.6°ESE
Harrow118.8°ESE

The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.

Questions

Good to know.

What is the qibla direction from Nottingham?

The qibla from Nottingham is 119.2° from true north, which is east-southeast. With an ordinary magnetic compass, face 118.4°.

How far is Nottingham from Makkah?

About 4,933 km (3,065 miles) in a straight line over the globe.

Why is the qibla east-southeast from Nottingham?

The qibla follows the shortest route over the curved Earth to the Kaaba, called a great circle. On a flat map this route looks curved, so the direction can look different from what a map suggests.

How exact do I need to be?

In the Hanafi school, someone far from Makkah faces the general direction of the Kaaba. A small turn to either side does not affect the prayer. Do your best, or follow the direction of your local masjid.