Atlas of Battles

siege, landmark, early modern

Siege of Malta

Siege of Malta was a siege conducted on 18 May 1565 at Grand Harbour, in what is now Malta; it lasted 4 months. It was part of the Ottoman–Habsburg Wars, which ran from 1526 to 1791. The recorded result: Christian coalition victory.

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The siege of Malta (1565) – Arrival of the Turkish Fleet
The siege of Malta (1565) – Arrival of the Turkish Fleet. Matteo Perez d'Aleccio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought18 May 1565lasted 4 months
WhereGrand Harbour, Malta35.892N, 14.518E
OutcomeChristian coalition victory
Belligerents24px Ottoman Empire; Regency of AlgiersagainstMalta; Knights Hospitaller / Order of Malta; Maltese militia; Spanish Empire Spanish Empire; Relief force: Spanish Empire Spanish Empire; Republic of Genoa; Duchy of Savoy; Duchy of Florence; Papal States Papal States
Casualties and losses25,000–35,000 deadandAt least 2,500
Part ofOttoman–Habsburg Wars1526 to 1791

Where it sits in the Ottoman–Habsburg Wars

Battle of Szőlős, 1527Siege of Varaždin 1527, 1527Battle of Tarcal, 1527Attack on Modon, 1531Battle of Monastir, 1540Siege of Pest, 1541Siege of Pest, 1542Invasion of Gozo, 1551Siege of Tripoli, 1551Sack of Bastia, 1555Siege of Malta, 1565Skirmish at Cerigo Channel, 1572Battle of Győr, 1577Battle of Klis, 1583Action of 17 June 1595, 1595Ottoman raids on Moravia, 1599Chios expedition, 1599Attack on Monastir, 1603Raid on Bone, 1607Battle of Paphos, 1609Raid on Żejtun, 1614Battle of Starý Hrozenkov, 1663Action of 15 February 1700, 1700Siege of Temeşvar, 171615271716Siege of Malta, 1565
24 placed engagements of the Ottoman–Habsburg Wars in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date18 May 1565
to 8 September 1565
PlaceGrand Harbour, Malta
35.892N, 14.518E
KindSiege, early modern
Strength35,000–40,000; 8,000 soldiers from Algiers; 2,500 corsairs from Algiers2,500 (6,100, including militia, servants, and galley slaves); 900 soldiers from the Spanish Empire; 800 soldiers from Italian states outside of the empire; 600 Knights Hospitaller; 200 unaffiliated soldiers from Sicily and Greece
Casualties and losses25,000–35,000 deadAt least 2,500
Commanders
  • Dragut
  • Kızıl Ahmedli Mustafa Pasha
  • Piali Pasha
  • Hasan Pasha (son of Barbarossa)
  • Occhiali
  • Jean Parisot de Valette
  • Jean de la Cassière
  • Mathurin Romegas
  • García Álvarez de Toledo y Osorio
  • Álvaro de Sande
  • Ascanio della Corgna
Siege of MaltaSiege of MaltaBattle of MaltaOperation PortcullisBattle of the Malta ConvoySiege of MaltaBattle of Grand HarbourSiracusaRagusa100 km35.892N, 14.518E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Siege of Malta
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Siege of Malta today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2025-06-14. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025.

The recorded site stands at about -2 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from -13 to 137 m, 149 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 46% built-up, 35% water, 6% tree cover.

built-up: 46%water: 35%tree cover: 6%grassland: 6%cropland: 5%built-up 46%water 35%tree cover 6%grassland 6%cropland 5%
west to east, 10.0 km-5 to 60 mnorth to south, 10.0 km-2 to 75 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 13 times between 218 BC and 1942.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1565

Siege of Malta is one of 1,470 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 17 in present-day Malta.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q58732, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Great Siege of Malta, revision 1382278571, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.