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In the spring of 1480, Rhodes braced for its greatest trial. Sultan Mehmed II, already famed as the vanquisher of Constantinople, turned his gaze to the eastern bastion of Christendom. Rhodes, governed by the Knights of Saint John, had long been a strategic thorn in the side of the Ottoman Empire.
With nearly 100,000 troops and an imposing naval fleet, the Ottomans set out to crush the fortified capital. The Siege of Rhodes in 1480 would test not only walls and weapons but the spirit of a small, determined garrison pitted against an empire.
Positioned between East and West, Rhodes held immense geopolitical value. It served as a base for crusaders and a checkpoint on key maritime routes. For the Ottomans, capturing it was both a tactical priority and a symbolic conquest.
Command of the expedition fell to Mesih Pasha—a former Christian who had risen through Ottoman ranks. By the end of May, his forces had landed on the island and laid siege to the medieval city. Siege guns opened fire, trenches were dug, and sappers began their subterranean assault.
The siege had begun in full force. The defenders were few, but every tower and bastion became a line of resistance.
The heaviest blows fell upon the eastern defenses, particularly the bastion and tower of Saint Catherine. Day after day, artillery hammered the stone walls, and wave after wave of Ottoman infantry surged forward.
In July, a breakthrough seemed imminent. A breach was opened, and fierce hand-to-hand fighting followed. But the Knights, reinforced by Rhodian civilians, repelled the invaders. As Ottoman engineers dug tunnels to plant explosives, the defenders launched counter-mining efforts, collapsing shafts and burying enemy troops alive.
The Siege of Rhodes in 1480 became a grinding war of attrition. Hunger, illness, exhaustion, and grief haunted both sides.
Leadership proved decisive. Grand Master Pierre d’Aubusson personally led counterattacks despite suffering serious injuries. His courage galvanized defenders, who now saw their resistance as sacred duty.
Legends of divine signs spread—of the Virgin of Phileremos shielding the city, of saints appearing in visions. While the Ottomans pounded the walls with iron and flame, Rhodian women and children delivered supplies, cared for the wounded, and fought fires sparked by bombardments.
Inside the walls, faith and unity proved stronger than the empire at the gates.
After months of bloodshed and mounting losses, the Ottoman siege faltered. With no decisive breakthrough and facing dwindling morale, Mesih Pasha’s forces began to withdraw. On August 17, the siege was officially lifted.
The island had endured. Though the Siege of Rhodes in 1480 left deep scars, it also affirmed Rhodes as a fortress of Western defiance. The reprieve, however, was temporary. Four decades later, the Ottomans would return—and prevail.
The Siege of Rhodes in 1480 remains a monumental moment in the island’s history. Against overwhelming numbers, the Knights of Saint John and the people of Rhodes held firm. Their resistance echoed far beyond their walls, becoming a story of bravery, devotion, and the high cost of survival.
The above article is based on the book ‘Ρόδος’ authored by Theofanis Bogiannos. The article is published with his permission.
