The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (Latin: Ordo
Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the
Knights Hospitaller (/ˈhɒspɪtələr/), was a medieval and early modern Catholic
military order.
It was founded in the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had head-
quarters there until 1291, thereafter being based in Kolossi Castle in Cyprus
(1302–1310), the island of Rhodes (1310–1522), Malta (1530–1798), and Saint
Petersburg (1799–1801).
Rhodes is located at the forefront of the Christian world compared to the Islamic
world. In 1522, the Ottoman Turks began conquering the island, leading to a five-
month battle with the Knights of St. John who protected the island.
