Ottomans begin the second Siege of Rhodes.

The Second Siege of Rhodes in 1522 was a major military campaign undertaken by the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, aiming to capture the island of Rhodes from the Knights Hospitaller. The island was of significant strategic importance in the eastern Mediterranean, controlling naval routes between Anatolia and the Levant. The Knights had already fended off a siege by Mehmed II in 1480, but this time the Ottomans arrived with overwhelming force—estimated at 100,000 to 200,000 troops, supported by a massive naval fleet. The defenders, by contrast, numbered only around 7,000, including both knights and local Greek and Latin militia.

The siege began in June 1522 and lasted for about six months, marked by intense artillery bombardment and a series of bloody assaults on the formidable fortifications of Rhodes Town. The Ottomans used advanced siege tactics and heavy cannons to breach the city’s walls, which were designed according to the latest military engineering standards of the Renaissance. Despite fierce resistance and several successful counterattacks by the Knights, the sheer numerical superiority and persistence of the Ottoman forces gradually wore down the defenders. Disease and famine also took a heavy toll inside the city.

By December 1522, the situation had become untenable for the Knights. After prolonged negotiations, Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L’Isle-Adam agreed to surrender the city on terms that allowed the Knights and many civilians to evacuate safely. The fall of Rhodes was a major victory for the Ottomans, consolidating their control over the eastern Mediterranean and eliminating a key Christian outpost. For the Knights, the loss marked the end of their presence in Rhodes, but they would eventually reestablish themselves on Malta, setting the stage for future confrontations with the Ottomans.