hospitalers
Hospitalers, historically known as the Knights Hospitaller, were a Christian religious and military order that emerged in the 11th century in the Holy Land. Their original mission was to provide care for poor and sick pilgrims visiting the shrines of Jerusalem and to defend the Crusader states. Over time the order developed both charitable and martial roles, establishing a network of hospices and hospitals as well as fortifications and armed forces to protect the Caucasus and Mediterranean routes.
The organization grew into a structured order with a religious vow system and a centralized leadership under
In the early 14th century the order relocated its base to the island of Rhodes, where it
Today, the Hospitallers are best known as the Knights Hospitaller or Order of Malta, a global humanitarian