Siege of Rhodes (1522)

In 1522, the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent led a massive expedition to capture Rhodes from the Knights Hospitaller, who had held the island for over two centuries. Suleiman brought a huge army and fleet, while the Knights, led by their Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, had only a few thousand defenders, including local Rhodians. The siege began in June and became one of the fiercest of the age. The Ottomans used heavy artillery and dug tunnels to place explosive mines under the walls, while the defenders dug countermines to intercept them. The Knights repelled assault after assault, inflicting heavy losses. By December, however, the defenders were exhausted, their ammunition was running low and no help had come from Christian Europe. Suleiman offered generous terms, and the Knights surrendered. They were allowed to leave with their weapons, and the inhabitants were promised freedom of religion. On 1 January 1523, the Knights sailed away, eventually settling on Malta in 1530. Rhodes and the Dodecanese remained under Ottoman rule until 1912.