Taraz (Kazakh: Тараз), formerly Talas, Zhambyl (Kazakh: Жамбы́л), an Aulie-Ata (Kazakh: Әулие́-Ата, Chagatai: اولياه اتا, Persian: تراز) is a city and a center of the Zhambyl Province in Kazakhstan. It is located in the south of Kazakhstan, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, on the Talas River (Taraz River). It has a population of 330,100 (1999 census), up 9% from 1989, making it one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, after Astana and Türkistan.