The Karaims, the Polish name for Karaites inhabiting Poland, are the smallest ethnic minority group in our country, at the number of around 300 people.
They follow Karaite religion, speak original Karaim language (belonging to the Turkic group of languages), follow their own culture, traditions, dresses and dances.
Karaism or Karaite Judaism emerged from Judaism, and soon after they had split off from Judaism in the 8th century, they settled in Crimean Peninsula around 8-9th centuries. There, they gradually blended with Khazars and Kipchaks.
Crimean Karaites came to Poland and Lithuania at the turn of the 14th century.
Nowadays, there are only a few thousand people worldwide who claim Karaite identity and approximately 1,500 of them live in Eastern Europe, 346 of which live in Poland.
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