Tyre is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. It is believed to have been occupied first between 8800 and 7000 BC, and today it is believed to be the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world. According to legend, purple dye was invented in Tyre. This great Phoenician city ruled the seas and founded prosperous colonies such as Cadiz and Carthage, but its historical role declined at the end of the Crusades. There are important archaeological remains, mainly from Roman times.