Mariner - Spring 2008 - (Page 11)

Malta’s strategic position in the Mediterranean—south of Sicily and north of Libya—has made it a center of trade and conflict throughout history. Its most recent occupiers were the British, who granted Malta independence in 1964, but its most influential were the Order of the Knights of St. John, who ruled the island for 270 years in the 16th century. The Knights moved to Malta after having been driven from Rhodes by the Ottomans, and they came very close to losing Malta in 1565. That was the year that Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent decided he’d had enough of the Order preying on Turkish shipping and sent his forces to put an end to this thorn in his side. Septuagenarians face off. Suleiman was in his 70s by this time. Under his leadership, the Ottoman Empire had reached its zenith, and he was considered one of the 16th century’s most formidable conquerors. Because of his age, he opted to delegate this task to the Barbary corsair Turgut Reis and two other commanders, Mustafa Pasha and Piyale Pasha. A decision that was to be his undoing. Grand Master de la Valette, leader of the Knights of St. John, was also in his seventies and was considered one of the finest maritime commanders in Europe. He had already crossed paths with Reis—in 1541 he had been captured by Barbary pirates under Reis’ command and had spent a year at the oars as a galley slave. No doubt he was not anxious to repeat the experience. The battle dawns. After hearing of a massive buildup of troops in Constantinople, the Knights gathered their forces in forts along the harbor, burning crops and poisoning wells as they retreated—tactics they learned from their defeat in Rhodes. As the sun rose on May 18, the sails of 200 Ottoman galleys cut white swaths from the blue Mediterranean sky and blotted out the sun with the Sultan’s flying red crescent. Aboard these ships were some 40,000 trained soldiers and 70 huge siege cannons. Opposing this force were fewer than 500 knights and 9,000 men. St. Elmo’s Fire. Prior to Reis’ arrival, Mustafa Pasha began the initial attack on Fort St. Elmo. It’s said that over 60,000 cannonballs were fired, causing so much smoke and fire that St. Elmo looked like a volcano erupting. When Reis arrived he was furious at Pasha’s decision, but the die had been cast. A battle that was expected to take three days lasted for five weeks, and when the Knights finally succumbed, over 8,000 Turks lay dead and Reis himself had been fatally wounded. The next battle was for St. Angelo, and Mustafa Pasha launched repeated attacks over the long, hot summer. At one point, a great breach was made in the fortifications, but the Grand Master himself rushed out to meet the assault, inspiring the Knights and townspeople to fling themselves into the breach with him, driving back the Ottomans once again. Just as morale began to ebb with the approach of winter, long-awaited relief forces appeared from Sicily. First, a small advance force numbering only 600, soon followed by 8,000 reinforcements. What remained of the great army of the Ottoman Empire struck camp and sailed away. The Ottomans made no further significant military advances in Europe and the Sultan died a few years later. The aftermath. The Great Siege lasted for 114 days. Malta lost 219 Knights and nearly 9,000 inhabitants, but they had turned the tide of the Ottoman Empire in one of the greatest examples of courage and endurance the world has ever witnessed. The Knights were celebrated as the saviors of Europe and money flowed to them from all quarters—money they used to build a beautiful new city named after their valiant leader. Valletta. Siege Bell Monument Visit Valletta: “Irrevocably linked” to the Knights of St. John. Valletta was built to be not only a fortress city, but home to some of the finest architectural, cultural and artistic works of 16th–18th-century Europe. Today, the honey-colored streets appear almost unchanged from the 16th century—an architectural showcase of palaces, gardens, forts and cathedrals. Many of the historic buildings—including Fort St. Angelo and Fort St. Elmo—are still in use today, along with the grand buildings erected by the Knights soon after their victory. You can view the opulent homes and castles of the Maltese nobility in Medina, and visit Vittoriosa, the Knights’ original city. And you won’t want to miss the magnificent Grand Master Palace, where the story of the Knights and the Siege is preserved in a series of frescoes. You can visit Valletta, Malta, on these sailings: 10-Day Roman Empire Roundtrip Rome ms Noordam Jul 26; Aug 15; Sep 4, 24, 2008 20-Day Mediterranean Adventure Roundtrip Rome ms Noordam Jul 16, 26; Aug 5, 15, 25; Sep 4, 14, 2008 14-Day Cradle of Civilization Athens to Rome ms Rotterdam Oct 17, 2009 Look for additional Europe sailing dates, itineraries and savings on pages 19 –21 of the Mariner Values section. To book your cruise, call your Travel Professional or 1-877-SAIL HAL, or visit www.hollandamerica.com. 11 Mariner Spring 2008 http://www.hollandamerica.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Mariner - Spring 2008

Mariner - Spring 2008 Table of Contents Black Pearls of the Sea of Cortez St. Lucia’s Drive-in Volcano Alaska’s Prolific Wildlife How Coffee Changed Costa Rica A Traveler’s Guide to Holiday Shopping Malta’s Last Stand Colorful Residents of the Great Barrier Reef Introducing Our New Website, a New Mariner Society® Director, a Face-lift for the Ms Prinsendam and More The Best Cruise Fares Currently Available The Ms Eurodam’s New Tamarind Restaurant Your Guide to Holland America Line Savings 2008/2009 Sailing Schedule

Mariner - Spring 2008

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