The Palace Armoury in Valletta was where the Knights of St John used to store their weapons, but it was also a place where they could show off their accomplishments to important people who visited the island. Nothing shows this more than the Turkish arms and armour section which is part of the Armoury. These battle trophies were some that the Turks left behind them after the end of the Great Siege of 1565. In this battle, the Knights and the Maltese, under the leadership of Grand Master Jean de la Vallette, despite being vastly outnumbered, heroically resisted and finally defeated the Turkish invaders who had been sent here by the Turkish Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Although compared to the number of other European armour there are surprisingly few, the Turkish arms and armour still have their own story to tell.

On display is the splendid Sipahi cavalry armour. The Sipahis were similar to the medieval European knight. It was said that 6,000 Sipahis formed part of the Turkish invading force in 1565. Their armour was made up of small plates connected with strong links of mail, which were interlocking metal rings and placed on the vulnerable parts of the body. What was so unique about this type of armour is that it was flexible and lightweight unlike the heavy cumbersome armour worn by the European knights at the time. Sipahis also wore the shishak, which was a conical helmet with cheek piece and a nasal guard. Some helmets were even large enough for a turban to be worn underneath!

The Turkish armour was artfully decorated as shown by a number of shields on display. Their artists relied on the words of the Prophet Muhammad for inspiration and the art of handwriting (calligraphy) became the most used form of decoration for objects. The holy words engraved on battle armour for the Turks served both to decorate and to protect the wearer in battle. The curved swords, called sabres also show this kind of ornate patterns.

Also impressive in the display are the huge stone balls which were fired by a basilisk. The basilisk was an enormous cannon the Turks brought for the Siege but which they had to abandon here because it was too heavy. It is probable that it was melted down and recast into smaller cannons.

To know more about these extraordinary objects, visit the Palace Armoury in Valletta, one of the museums managed by Heritage Malta. The knights were once proud of their armoury, but even in this day and age, one can be sure they would be happy to show it off as a tribute to their glorious past.

Article provided by Heritage Malta