Rhodes

In part two, Julian Davison departs the former capital of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul, and following the path of Sultan Sulieman the Magnificent’s navy, sets sail for the Mediterranean Sea and the tiny island of Rhodes.

At the beginning of the 16th century Rhodes was a base for the scourge of the Ottoman Empire, the Christian Crusader order known as the Knights of St. John. Arriving on Rhodes Julian explores the beautifully preserved old city and learns what it meant to be a Knight’s Hospitaller.

He delves into the military tactics of the day and discovers how they shaped the outcome of a gruesome siege that pitted the Knights against the full might of the Ottoman military machine.

To conclude the episode Julian returns to Istanbul to follow the rise of the Ottoman Navy and explore the formidable relationship forged between Suleiman and one of the most notorious Pirates that ever roamed the seas, Barbarossa. Together they would traumatise the coastlines of Southern Europe and strike terror in the hearts of Christians.