Qibla direction in Cairns
From Cairns, face 287.1° from true north, roughly west-north-west. The Kaaba in Makkah is 12,292 km away along the shortest path over the Earth.
How to face the Qibla in Cairns
- Open the compass on your phone, or NearMasjid’s Qibla screen, and hold the phone flat.
- Turn until the heading reads 287.1°. NearMasjid shows “Facing Qibla” when you are lined up.
- Compass apps point to magnetic north unless set to true north; NearMasjid uses true north.
Face the Qibla anywhere
NearMasjid shows the Qibla on a compass or on a map, with the bearing from your location, your current heading and the distance to Makkah. It tells you when you are facing the Qibla.
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How this is calculated
The bearing is the initial great-circle direction from the centre of Cairns (-16.9237, 145.7661) to the Kaaba (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E). It is the same calculation NearMasjid uses on your phone.
- Townsville 286.0°
- Mackay 284.6°
- Rockhampton 283.2°
- Bundaberg 281.9°
- Hervey Bay 281.6°
- Sunshine Coast 280.7°
- Caloundra 280.6°
- Toowoomba 280.6°
Frequently asked questions
Is the Qibla in Cairns exactly west-north-west?
Not exactly. The precise bearing is 287.1° from true north; west-north-west is the nearest compass point.
Why isn’t the Qibla simply south-east from the UK or east from the US?
The Qibla follows the shortest path over the curved Earth (a great circle), so on a flat map it can look different from a straight line.