Latest / Sleepy Facts About History
Why Did Europeans Really Sail Into the Atlantic? - The Ottoman Blockade Myth and the Age of Discovery | Sleepy Facts About History
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!
The familiar story of the Age of Discovery is almost too perfect: in 1453, the Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople and closed the Silk Road, forcing European merchants to sail into the unknown to find spices and silk. But the customs registers of Ottoman Constantinople continued to record bustling trade long after Mehmed II breached the walls. This episode examines the historical reality of eastern commerce after 1453, exploring how Asian goods still reached Europe through a complex…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.