The Old Boma is the former German colonial headquarters of Bagamoyo, completed in 1897 when the town was briefly the capital of German East Africa. Boma is the Swahili word for fortified compound, and that is what this was — a thick-walled administrative building, originally surrounded by a high wall, with offices, courts, and a prison on the ground floor and the governor's quarters above.
The German administration moved to Dar es Salaam shortly after the building opened, and the Boma sank into disuse for most of the 20th century. A major restoration by the Tanzanian government completed in 2014 has brought it back as a cultural centre. The reception rooms are open during the day, with displays on the German period of Tanzanian history. The view from the upper balcony out over the old town and the Indian Ocean is the best in Bagamoyo.