The Phoenician civilization was conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. Alexander's conquest brought an end to Phoenician independence, and the region was subsequently ruled by a series of foreign powers, including the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, and Ottoman Turks. Despite the political decline of Phoenicia, the Phoenician people and culture continued to exist in the region for many centuries. However, with the rise of Christianity and the decline of the Phoenician language and religion, Phoenician culture gradually declined. By the late Middle Ages, the Phoenician civilization had largely disappeared.