China and the Indies

In 1453, a significant incident occurred that accelerated exploration. The Ottomans conquered Constantinople, a seaport that provided a passageway to Africa and the Orient. When this passageway was blocked, explorers searched for an alternate route leading to China and the Indies. These countries had riches that we often take for granted today: spices and cloth such as silk.

Map of Old Europe [ca. 1560]
Atlas of World History/Detail

This seaport has had three names, successively: Byzance, Constantinople and Istanbul.

Dragon