Süleyman the Magnificent Süleyman the Magnificent, detail of an engraving of a panel by Pieter Coecke van Aelst showing a procession through Istanbul in 1533. Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum. (more) Siege of Rhodes Ottoman Empire [1522] Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Rhodes Feedback Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Tony Bunting Tony Bunting is a historian who has recently completed a research project at the University of Central Lancashire on the evolution of 19th-century British imperialism. His work appears in Encyclopaedia... Tony Bunting Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Dec 2, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Quick Facts Date: June 1522 - December 1522 (Show more) Location: Greece Rhodes (Show more) Participants: Hospitallers Ottoman Empire (Show more) Key People: Süleyman the Magnificent (Show more) See all related content Led by Süleyman the Magnificent, the Siege of Rhodes in June–December 1522 was the second attempt by the Ottoman Empire to defeat the Knights Hospitaller and take control of Rhodes. Control of the Greek island would consolidate Ottoman control of the eastern Mediterranean.

　　Selim I had vastly expanded Ottoman territory in the Muslim Middle East. His successor, Süleyman, now took the Christians as his target. Süleyman learned from a failed attempt of 1480 to take Rhodes: this time the Ottomans doubled the size of their fleet to more than 300 ships and, along with a force of 75,000, besieged the island in June 1522, blockading the harbor and bombarding the town.

　　The walls had been strengthened after the first siege but, after several weeks, the cannons breached a section, allowing the Ottomans to launch an attack on an English contingent of knights. For a day the Ottomans attacked, but English and German knights repelled them. After attacks on other parts of the ramparts failed, the Ottomans decided to explode mines under the walls, but these attacks were repelled, too, thwarted by a Venetian engineer named Gabriel Tadino. In early December the bombardment ceased while the two sides negotiated. However, peace talks broke down, and the bombardment continued with increased ferocity after more artillery was brought in from Anatolia.

　　The Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, Philippe Villiers de L’Isle-Adam, could see that the situation was hopeless and surrendered on December 18 to avoid loss of civilian life. Süleyman was generous, in recognition of the bravery of the defenders, and he exempted the citizens of Rhodes from paying taxes for the next five years. In late December, the knights marched out of the town carrying their banners and were transported safely to Crete aboard Ottoman ships. Although costly, the capture of Rhodes was a significant victory for the Ottomans. The Knights Hospitaller relocated to Malta, for which reason they are familiarly known as the Knights of Malta.