An anthropological review on The Karaite Community in Istanbul

This ethnographic field research and study focus on the Karaite Community in İstanbul regarding the group's religion, identity and culture from an anthropological perspective. Main objective of this research is to take a record of the one of the most ancient and historical religious groups of İstanbul, namely the Karaite Community, which is about to go out of existence. Belonging to Judaism and being one of the oldest branches of this religion, Karaism and its followers are taken under a thorough investigation regarding their belief system, history, culture and tradition. The methods used for this study are ethnographic field study, participant observation and in-depth interview. The data from field study, in-depth interviews and participant observations were gathered, and analyzed via anthropological literature. According to the analysis of the findings, it would not be correct to talk about a homogeneous and one sided existence for the Karaite Community in İstanbul which embodies different religious, ethnic, identity and traditional elements. Key words: Karaism, Karaite, Karaites in İstanbul, Karaite belief system, Karaite history, Judaism, culture, tradition, identity.