Explanation:After the loss of control of the silk and spice trade by the Turks, the trade network shifted to new areas, causing some established centers like Cochin to decline and others like Goa to rise The fall of Constantinople in 1453, which was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, led to the loss of one of the principal land routes for spices into Europe The search for direct access to the highly lucrative Eastern spice trade was one of the major motivating factors in the European Age of Exploration . Explorers like Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama were sent to find a maritime route from Europe to Asia From 1500 onwards, first Portugal, and then other European powers, attempted to control the spice trade, the ports which marketed spices, and eventually the territories which grew them Spices had been imported from the East into Europe since antiquity, and Europeans had developed a definite liking for them. Part of the attraction was the flavor they gave dishes, although another attraction was their very rarity, making them a fashionable addition to any table and a real status symbol for the wealthy