According to the ancient Oriental sources, the birth of the Scythian kingdom in the 670s BC was an important factor in the military and political life of the Near East for several decades. Scythia covered a territory between the River Kura and the Mannaean lands around Lake Urmia. In the 590s BC, the Scythian kingdom was a formidable force. It had a relatively stable area in Azerbaijan and existed at least 80 years. The full domination of the Scythian kingdom in the Near Asia probably ended 620-610s BC. The Medes appeared as a new power in Asia. Though it ceased to exist, its population, including Scyths, Ortokorybants and Sakas continued to dwell in the territory of Azerbaijan.