On May 10, 1556 CE, an earthquake struck the city of Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The quake caused significant damage and loss of life, adding to the long history of seismic disasters that have afflicted the city. This event was a major challenge for the Ottoman authorities, who were already dealing with the pressures of imperial expansion.

The 1556 Istanbul earthquake was recorded in Ottoman chronicles and is part of the rich literary and historical tradition of the empire. The event was the subject of contemporary poems and accounts that lamented the destruction and praised the Sultan's efforts to rebuild. This earthquake is a notable example in Ottoman Turkish literature of how natural disasters were used to reflect on the power of the state and the will of God.