1. Karaims - a living nation
For Comenius bilateral school project “Cultural bridge between Nevsehir and Trakai”
2012

2. One of the topics of the project-
Karaim ethnic minority which
both Lithuania and Turkey share

3. Main Karaim communities in the world are in:
Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Turkey, France, USA and Israel

4. History
From linguistic and ethnogenetic point of view Karaims belong to the oldest Turkish tribes – Kipchaks.
The history of Karaims is connected with Lithuania for the past 600 years. The Great Duke of Lithuania Vytautas, after one of the marches to the Golden Horde steppes, brought from Crimea several hundreds of Karaims and settled them in Lithuania.

5. Karaims in Trakai
Karaims were settled in Trakai between two castles of The Great Duke of Lithuania, present Karaim Street. Trakai has always been the community's administrative and spiritual centre in Lithuania. Karaims themselves began to hold it not only a homeland, but as fatherland, too.

6. Karaim street in old town of Trakai

7. Vytautas the Great

8. Vytautas and Karaims
There are a bunch of poetic works and songs about Vytautas in the Karaim language in which he is named Vatat Bij (“the King crushing his enemies”), about the town of Trakai and the beauty of Lithuania. These highly appreciated, intimate and even sacred topics have already become symbols to the Karaims.

9. Karaims and Lithuania
The Karaims were loyal to the Lithuanian rulers, protected their castles, practiced medicine, and worked as translators.
They served as warriors and honest servants.
Karaim community were given self governing right in XV century and were under authority of elected vaitas of Trakai.

10. Language
Karaim language is of the western Kipchak group (Karachai, Kumyk, the Crimean Tartar) belong to a Turkic subfamily, which, in its turn, is considered as a part of the larger Altaic family. The Karaim language exists in three historically established dialects - those of Trakai, Halich-Lutsk and of the Crimea.
Karaim prayers are read in Hebrew
language

11. Word formation samples
sav - well, healthy
sav-uch- to get better, recover (the stem sav + the verb suffix -uch)
sav-uch-tur- to cure (savuch- + the verb suffix -tur)
sav-uch-tur-uv- the cure (savuchtur- + the noun suffix -uv)

12. Folklore
It all was created during the several centuries and in different geographical latitudes. Lithuanian Karaims' folklore that is still alive in the community today has come from the ancient days, when they lived among various Turkic, Persian and Arabian tribes.

13. Religion
The Karaim religion Karaism is actually a pure faith of the Old Testament which dogmas are built on truth written in Bible, that does not accept any authorities commenting on these holy texts orally or in written. The name of the religion itself (Karaism) reflects its meaning. It derives from the word 'kara' which in Arabic and Hebrew languages means 'to read',

14. Karaim prayer house Kenessa in Trakai

15. Karaim Kenessa in Istanbul

16. Literature
The two parts of this heritage - religious and secular works - are closely related and complement each other. Religious literature comprises anthems, ritual hymns, odes and laments. Secular genres are poems, ballads, songs, poetry for children and plays for amateur performances. There are also numerous translations of poetry into Karaim.

17. Important Karaim people
Firkovich, Abraham (1786­1874)
He was the central figure of the Karaite National Movement and the most important collector of Karaite manuscripts. He was born in Poland, has visited Holy Land. In the years 1831­1832 he transferred his collecting activity to Istanbul and published a book "Avnei Zikkaron" about Karaim heritage.

18. Karaim cuisine The Karaims safeguard Trakai famous town,
They taste krupnik
In the Kings Castle.
They live friendly,
Eat fat soup;
Snatch kybyn
Till it is still hot.

19. Karaims have future as a nation!

20. Resources: