The '''Karimi''' (Crimeans) were once famous as merchants who controlled the trade routes through (Persian: Karima).
Jewish communities existed in many of the Greek colonies in the region during the late classic period. Recently excavated inscriptions in Crimea have revealed a Jewish presence at least as early as the 1st century BCE. In some Crimean towns, monotheistic pagan cults called Hypsistarians or sebomenoi theon hypsiston ("Worshippers of the All-Highest God," or "God-Fearers") existed.[citation needed] These quasi-proselytes kept the Jewish commandments but remained uncircumcised and retained certain pagan customs. This became the basis of the Crimean religion of the Karimi.
Their religion was described as similar to that of the [[Crimean Karaites]] and so the Karimi Noahites gave their name to all [[Crimean-Karaitizers]] that copied their example. The 40 families of [[Karaite-Turks]] settled in Bakhchisarai crrtainly adopted this religion when they arrived and mixed with the Ghisolfi.
