Conquering Lands (03:46)

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Suleiman the Magnificent appointed Hayreddin Barbarossa admiral of the navy. The Ottoman Empire conquered parts of Hungary and captured Baghdad as well as Preveza. The Knights of St. John settled on the Maltese Islands, abducted the governors of Cairo and Alexandria, and captured an Imperial galley.

Preliminary Attack (02:09)

Ottoman troops landed on Malta and prepared to attack Forts St. Elmo and St. Angelo. Jean Parisot de Valette, Grand Master of the Order, secured the mouth of the harbor with a chain barrier.

Weaponry (05:12)

Knights of the order of St. John used swords, hand grenades, flaming hoops of fire, halberds, and small muskets to fight off the Ottoman Empire. The armor weighed over 45 pounds and was difficult to walk in compared to the Ottoman's silks.

St. Angelo Attack (04:36)

Muslims slaughtered all the Christian defenders after securing St. Elmo because they had lost over 8,000 soldiers; Valette demanded all Turkish prisoners executed. Mustafa Pasha ordered Ottoman artillery to barrage the fort and land forces attacked from the rear without success. The navy attempted to capture by sea, but the Maltese had cannons hidden.

Attack on Mdina (02:51)

Christian knights destroyed the Ottoman camp. Pasha believed that reinforcements had arrived to help the Order of St. John. Christianity celebrated the victory at Malta.

Malta Flourished (06:01)

Valletta, the capital of Malta, was erected to celebrate Vallette's victory. The eight-point cross was the symbol of the Order of St. John. The order recently returned to live at Fort St. Angelo; the Chapel of St. Anne was a private area of the grandmaster.

Credits: Malta (00:38)

Credits: Malta