One of the two Nilosaharan-speaking groups in Eritrea are the Nara, formerly called by outsiders with the denigrating name ‘Bariya’, meaning ‘black slaves’. They were also mentioned under the name Bariya in many travellers’ accounts.

At present there are at least 60,000 Nara, living in the Gash-Barka area of western Eritrea, north of the Kunama region.

Nara women (and to a lesser extent men) have characteristic vertical scarifications on their face.

They are also noted for their multicoloured beads and golden rings in their noses. When living outside the Nara area, they tend to abandon this culture-related tradition