What is the Qibla?
The Qibla is the direction that Muslims face when performing their daily prayers. It points toward the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the most sacred site in Islam.
Allah says in the Quran:
فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ ۚ وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ
“So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you are, turn your faces toward it.”
Qibla Direction from Morocco
From Morocco, the Qibla direction is approximately East (E). The bearing from most Moroccan cities is between 80° and 98° clockwise from true north, meaning you face nearly due east toward the Kaaba in Mecca. The exact bearing varies slightly by city due to Morocco's geographic spread from north to south.
Morocco's magnetic declination is very small (less than 1°), so a standard compass reading will be nearly identical to the true north bearing shown below.
Qibla Bearings for Major Moroccan Cities (Degrees from North)
| City | Bearing (True North) | Compass (Magnetic) | Cardinal | Distance to Kaaba |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casablanca | 93.7° | 96.1° | E | 4,824 km |
| Rabat | 94.6° | 96.8° | E | 4,758 km |
| Marrakech | 91.4° | 93.5° | E | 4,851 km |
| Fes | 95.8° | 97.4° | E | 4,590 km |
| Tangier | 97.2° | 98.5° | E | 4,687 km |
| Agadir | 89.3° | 91.5° | E | 5,004 km |
| Oujda | 98.7° | 100.1° | E | 4,317 km |
| Meknes | 95.0° | 96.8° | E | 4,638 km |
| Kenitra | 94.8° | 96.6° | E | 4,706 km |
| Tetouan | 97.0° | 98.3° | E | 4,620 km |
| Safi | 91.0° | 93.2° | E | 4,947 km |
| Essaouira | 89.8° | 92.0° | E | 5,028 km |
| Nador | 98.2° | 99.5° | E | 4,470 km |
| Laayoune | 85.3° | 87.8° | E | 5,391 km |
| Dakhla | 80.8° | 83.5° | ENE | 5,697 km |
Methods to Find the Qibla
1. Using Our Qibla Compass Tool
The easiest method is to use our Qibla Direction finder:
- GPS-based: Uses your device's location for precise calculation
- Live compass: Points toward the Kaaba in real-time on supported devices
- City selection: Choose your city if GPS isn't available
- Accurate bearing: Shows exact degrees from north for manual alignment
2. Using a Physical Compass
- Find your city's Qibla bearing from the table above (e.g., 93.7° for Casablanca)
- Hold your compass flat and level, away from metal objects
- Wait for the needle to settle pointing to North
- Rotate yourself clockwise until the compass reads the Qibla bearing
- You are now facing the Qibla
For Casablanca specifically: face 93.7° from true north, this is almost exactly due East, just 3.7° south of due east. On a standard magnetic compass, look for 96.1°.
3. Using the Sun
- At solar noon (when shadows are shortest), the sun is roughly to your south in Morocco
- The Qibla from Morocco is approximately east, face about 90° to your left from the sun at noon
- In Casablanca, the Qibla is 93.7° from north, so face slightly south of due east
4. Using Landmarks
In many Moroccan mosques, the Mihrab (prayer niche) already indicates the Qibla direction. If you're near a mosque, use it as reference. In Casablanca, the Hassan II Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world, has a precisely aligned Mihrab that can serve as a calibration reference.
Calibrating Your Compass
For the most accurate results:
- Move away from metal objects, they interfere with compass readings
- Hold your device flat, tilting affects accuracy
- Calibrate by making a figure-8 motion with your phone
- Check against a known direction, compare with a nearby mosque's Mihrab
The Science Behind Qibla Calculation
The Qibla bearing is calculated using the great-circle distance formula:
- Takes the latitude and longitude of your location
- Computes the shortest path on Earth's surface to the Kaaba (21.4225° N, 39.8262° E)
- Returns the initial compass bearing of that path in degrees from north
This is why cities at different latitudes and longitudes have slightly different Qibla bearings, even within Morocco.
For example, Casablanca (33.57° N, 7.59° W) is nearly 4,824 km from the Kaaba. The great-circle bearing of 93.7° means you turn 93.7° clockwise from true north, almost exactly due east.
True North vs. Magnetic Compass
The bearings in this guide are measured from true north (geographic north pole). A standard magnetic compass points to magnetic north, which differs slightly from true north by a value called magnetic declination.
In Morocco, the magnetic declination is very small (approximately 0.5° to 1° depending on location), so the difference between true north and magnetic compass readings is minimal. For the most accurate results with a physical compass, use the "Compass (Magnetic)" column in the table above.
Common Questions
Q: What is the Qibla direction from Casablanca, Morocco? A: The Qibla direction from Casablanca is 93.7° clockwise from true north, which is almost exactly due East. On a magnetic compass, the reading is approximately 96.1°. This means from Casablanca you face just 3.7° south of due east toward the Kaaba in Mecca, a distance of about 4,824 km.
Q: What if I'm unsure of the exact direction? A: Do your best to determine the Qibla direction. Islam emphasizes sincere effort. If you later discover you were facing slightly off, your prayer remains valid.
Q: Does the Qibla change with seasons? A: No. The Qibla is a fixed geographic direction from any given point. It doesn't change with time or seasons.
Q: Can I pray facing approximately the right direction? A: Yes. Scholars agree that facing the general direction of the Kaaba is sufficient when the exact bearing cannot be determined.
Try our Qibla Direction finder for instant, accurate Qibla finding from anywhere in Morocco.
