Magnificent Malta by Knight

We spent the summer of 2015 sailing the small island country of Malta. Strategically placed between Africa and Europe, these three islands of barren limestone has been a country the world powers have wanted to control for centuries. While there is evidence that Malta has been inhabited for over 5,000 years, it’s modern history includes occupation by the Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Spanish, French, English and many others throughout the centuries. Generally, whoever controlled Sicily, also controlled Malta. Perhaps the history that Malta is most known for is when the Knights of St. John took possession of these small islands. After the fall of Jerusalem during the crusades, the knights went to Rhodes and set up a fortress. But in 1522, a 6 month siege by Suleiman the Magnificent and his force of 100,000 (some sources say as many as 200,000) men captured the knights. The knights were allowed to leave Rhodes, on the condition that they never attack the Ottomans again. Without a home, they wandered for a couple of years until Charles 1 of Spain offered them the Island of Malta in exchange for a falcon to be paid each year as rent. Just as in Rhodes, the Knights of St John built great fortresses to protect themselves from invading forces. And as soon as they had their fortress in place they once again started plundering Suleiman’s trade ships. The result of the knights breaking their promise culminated in one of the most incredible stories of a military beating unbeatable odds. Suleiman and his 40,000 troops attacked this fortress against 700 knights and 8,000 soldiers. What looked like an easy victory for the Turks ended up being an agonizing defeat. After months of fighting, only 600 men on Malta were left that could bear arms. But seeing no hope of victory, Suleiman sailed back to Turkey with only 15.000 troops. The rest of his once confident army were all dead, lying at the bottom of the walled city fortress. Reminders of Malta’s past warring siege surrounds us. Sitting on my boat in the Grand Harbor, I can easily see Fort Elmo that held off for months with just a couple hundred men. As I look to the east, I see St Michaels church surrounded by the strong fortified walls that served as a refuge and final holding position that in the end defeated the greatest army of it’s day. At noon every day, they still fire off cannons to commemorate their great victory over the Turks.