VII-VIII centuries BC in the steppes near the river Talas formed tribal alliances and Usuns Saks, who founded the fort of Taraz, which traces found at the site of the Central kolkhoz market (green market) of the modern city of Taraz. The first written mention of the city (in Greek sources) refers to the 568, one of the points of the northern branch of the Silk Road, which runs from Olmaliq (near the modern city of Yining in Chinese) in the direction of Yasa (modern city of Turkestan), and further downstream Cheese (Syr Darya). In 751, the town near a battle at Talas, in which the Abbasid Caliphate cavalry routed the army of Tang China by Karluk mercenaries. In the VIII-X centuries part of the Karluk Khanate.
The greatest flowering of ancient Taraz achieved in the XI-XII centuries when Karakhanids, with the conquest of that region (in 999) Samanid cease suschestvovanie.Pismennyh information about the conquest of the Mongols Taraz not, apparently, in 1220 the city had largely resisted the Mongols and why was destroyed by them to the ground, as evidenced by the remnants of fires detected during excavation. The city seems to have been renamed by the Mongols in Yana (New), because the mention of his future, both European and Arab sources write: city Yana, called before the conquest of Taraz. In 13 - 15 centuries was part of the Chagatai ulus Mongolian imperii.V period 1465 to 1718 he .- one of the cities of the Kazakh hanstva.V 1723 Talas valley, like much of the southern regions of Kazakhstan, was conquered Dzhungars who owned it, and almost until 1756 goda.V 18 - 19 centuries was part of the Khanate of Kokand . In 1856 the town was renamed Awliya-ata - (Holy Father). This name he received in honor Karahan - founder of the dynasty Karakhanids. In 1864 he was captured by Russian troops under the command of Colonel Chernyaeva during the conquest of Central Asia, Russia. In 1938 the town was renamed Jambul, on behalf of the Kazakh poet Zhambyl Dzhabayev. In 1997, the city returned to the old name of Taraz, Zhambyl region remained. The ancient name of "Taraz" comes under the name of a river. Kazakh consonant with the word "balance".