Nakfa (ናቕፋ)
The town of Nakfa, or Nak'fa, served as the headquarters of Eritrea's resistance movement before independence from Ethiopia. As a result Nakfa has been bombed by the Ethiopian air force more than once and it has become the Eritrean symbol of their hard-fought-for independence.
Eritrea's currency, the nakfa, was named after the town. Nakfa looks like a remote collection of iron shacks and a visit to the town gives a good idea of what took place on Eritrea's battlefields and will give you a better understanding of the will for Eritrean self-determination. The only stone building that was left standing in Nakfa is the Nakfa Mosque. You can still see the hole that was blown in its cupola during Ethiopian bombardments.
Around Nakfa are several underground towns, where Eritrean soldiers could hide, make weapons, print pro-independence literature and tend to their wounded without showing themselves to the Ethiopian military. Many of these underground facilities are still accessible and can be visited.
Also in the vicinity are the twin peaks of Den Den, a mountain that the rebels used as radio transmission 'tower' during the war. The summit provides excellent views over the area and its battle scars.
Day trips to Nakfa are available in Asmara. Nakfa is just north of Nakfa National Park, 155 km north of Asmara.
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