Great article. I learned a lot. I wonder where Christianity would be now if it hadn’t been the religion of choice. Joseph Smith must of done his research !
Great article. Question to you: what changed? Why is Istanbul in modern society no longer a pinnacle of trade between the west and east? Did the land mass shift? Is it because airplanes were invented? Europe is still the largest economy in the world and china still produces the most goods. Why is Istanbul most known for its mosques and balaclava?
Yeah good question. A big piece of it was the Portuguese figuring out how to navigate Africa to go directly to the Indies in the 15th century. That would have directly reduced a good amount of the foot traffic that needed to go through Istanbul. However, the Black Sea to Mediterranean remained valuable during the time period of the Russian Empire and the USSR. However today Russia is a shell of itself from a trade perspective, so that choke point now matters less. So I think the main answer is: boats.
Loved it! Wish I read this before our trip!
Great article. I learned a lot. I wonder where Christianity would be now if it hadn’t been the religion of choice. Joseph Smith must of done his research !
Great article. Question to you: what changed? Why is Istanbul in modern society no longer a pinnacle of trade between the west and east? Did the land mass shift? Is it because airplanes were invented? Europe is still the largest economy in the world and china still produces the most goods. Why is Istanbul most known for its mosques and balaclava?
Yeah good question. A big piece of it was the Portuguese figuring out how to navigate Africa to go directly to the Indies in the 15th century. That would have directly reduced a good amount of the foot traffic that needed to go through Istanbul. However, the Black Sea to Mediterranean remained valuable during the time period of the Russian Empire and the USSR. However today Russia is a shell of itself from a trade perspective, so that choke point now matters less. So I think the main answer is: boats.
Great work on this one can’t wait to read what’s next