TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Siege · 1565
The Great Siege of Malta (Maltese: L-Assedju l-Kbir) occurred in 1565 when the Ottoman Empire attempted to conquer the island of Malta, then held by the Knights Hospitaller. The siege lasted nearly four months, from 18 May to 8 September 1565. The Knights Hospitaller had been headquartered in Malta since 1530, after being driven out of Rhodes, also by the Ottomans, in 1522, following the siege of Rhodes. The Ottomans first attempted to take Malta in 1551 but failed. In 1565, Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Sultan, made a second attempt to take Malta. The Knights, who numbered around 500 together with approximately 6,000 footsoldiers, withstood the siege and repelled the invaders.
| Date | 18 May 1565 – 8 September 1565, (3 months and 3 weeks) |
|---|---|
| Location | Grand Harbour, Malta, |
| Result | Christian coalition victory |
| Belligerents | Ottoman Empire Regency of Algiers | Malta Knights Hospitaller / Order of Malta Maltese militia Spanish Empire Relief force: Republic of Genoa Duchy of Savoy Duchy of Florence Papal States |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Dragut † Mustafa Pasha Piali Pasha Hasan Pasha Occhiali | Jean Parisot de Valette Jean de la Cassière Mathurin Romegas Melchior de Robles † Relief force: García de Toledo Álvaro de Sande Ascanio della Corgna |
| Strength | 35,000–40,000 8,000 soldiers from Algiers 2,500 corsairs from Algiers | 2,500 (6,100, including militia, servants, and galley slaves) 900 soldiers from the Spanish Empire 800 soldiers from Italian states outside of the empire 600 Knights Hospitaller 200 unaffiliated soldiers from Sicily and Greece |
| Casualties | 25,000–35,000 dead | At least 2,500 |
The number of casualties is in as much dispute as the number of invaders. Balbi gives 35,000 Turkish deaths, Bosio 30,000 casualties (including sailors). Several other sources give about 25,000. The knights lost a third of their number, and Malta lost a third of its inhabitants. Birgu and Senglea were essentially leveled. Still, 6,000 defenders had managed to withstand a siege of more than four months in the hot summer, despite enduring a bombardment of some 130,000 cannonballs. Jean de Valette, Grand Master of the Knights of Malta, had a key influence in the victory against the Ottomans with his example and his ability to encourage and hold people together.
Took place during the reign of Suleiman I (1520–1566). Suleiman I
Open the reign of Suleiman I on the mapText: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), adapted for the atlas.