I always hear that after the Fall of Constantinople, the Ottomans somehow blocked ALL trade in the Eastern Mediterranean. How is this possible since the Bosphorus straights only control trade from the Black to Mediterranean seas? How would it have blocked the Indian spice trade or other routes? Also, the Ottomans already controlled lots of territory around the city, how wasn’t it blocked before?
You're right to doubt, since the premise is a pretty faulty one. More can be said if anyone else would like to address this particular myth (and its accompanying bit of said trade blockage sparking the Age of Exploration to get around the Ottomans), so if you'd like to write up a post of your own, please don't let this linkdrop stop you!
For the meantime, u/terminus-trantor has helpfully compiled several of their previous posts on the topic, copied below:
They've also covered it over on r/badhistory: