Siege of Rhodes
1522 CE · Greece
The Siege of Rhodes was fought in 1522 CE in Greece between Ottoman Empire vs the Knights Hospitaller; Ottoman victory after six months; the Knights were allowed to leave and later settled on Malta.
Siege of Rhodes: quick facts
- Date
- 1522 CE
- Location
- Greece
- Belligerents
- Ottoman Empire vs the Knights Hospitaller
- Commanders
- Suleiman the Magnificent vs Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam
- Result
- Ottoman victory after six months; the Knights were allowed to leave and later settled on Malta.
- Era
- ⚔️ Ottoman & Islamic Empires
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Siege of Rhodes?
Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent besieged the fortress of the Knights Hospitaller on Rhodes with an army of around 100,000 men. After a grueling five-month siege involving extensive mining and multiple assaults, the vastly outnumbered Knights negotiated an honorable surrender. Suleiman, impressed by their courage, allowed them to depart freely. The Knights eventually resettled on Malta, where they would face the Ottomans again in 1565.
Did you know?
When the Knights Hospitaller surrendered Rhodes, Suleiman was so impressed by their bravery that he personally watched them depart with full military honors and reportedly said he regretted driving such brave men from their home.
Sources and further reading
- Siege of Rhodes on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.