Constantinopolitan Karaites
| Καραΐτες Κωνσταντινούπολης | |
|---|---|
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Turkey
|
80 |
| Languages | |
| Karæo-Greek, Hebrew, Turkish language | |
| Religion | |
| Judaism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Karaites, Romaniotes, Jews | |
The Constantinopolitan Karaites or Greco-Karaites are a Karaite community with a specific historical development and a distinct cultural, linguistic and literary heritage, while they share particular commonalities with the Romaniote Jews.
Karaites have lived in Istanbul (at that time the city still bore its Greek name Constantinople) for more than a thousand years since Byzantine Times. Smaller settlements in the surrounding area of Constantinople have existed as well, like the Karaites of Adrianople who had their descent from the Constantinopolitan community. After a long time of coexistence within a large Greek-speaking Christian town and beside of the larger community of the Rabbanite Romaniote Jews, who were either grecophone, the Karaites began adopting the Greek language. As a result, the Karaeo-Greek type of the Yevanic language developed, which the elder ones used in their daily conversation until recently. The Karaite Elias Afeda Beghi compiled a glossary on the Hebrew Bible with Hebrew words translated into Greek. Other works of Greco-Karaite literature are also known.
In spite of the small size of this community, the Constantinopolitan Karaites have had a great influence on the Karaite Judaism through their literary work. The communities of Constantinople and Adrianople produced eminent personalities for the Karaite movement like Caleb Afendopolo, Elijah Bashyazi, Aaron ben Joseph of Constantinople, Aaron ben Elijah, Judah Hadassi and other. These authors have produced prominent theological, liturgical and philosophical works, which have been eminent for the development of the wider Karaite Judaism. It was the work "Seder Tefillot" (Book of Prayers and Hymns) of Aaron ben Joseph of Constantinople that was adopted by most of the Karaite congregations as the standard prayer-book, and that probably earned for him the epithet "ha-Kadosh" (the Saint). In order to settle the religious laws Elijah Bashyazi compiled a code entitled "Aderet Eliyahu" (The Mantle of Elijah). This code, which contained both the mandatory and prohibitory precepts, is rightly regarded by the Karaites as the greatest authority on those matters.
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