Bagamoyo - Old Fort

The Old Fort in Bagamoyo is the oldest surviving building in the town as it was started in 1860. Built as a private house by Abdallah Marhabi in 1860, it was taken over by Sutlan Baghash who fortified it after 1870. Also known as the old provision house, a portion of the fort was used to hold slave before being shipped to Zanzibar. An underground passage was used to transport slaves to the dhows on the shore of Bagamoyo.

The Germans used the Old Fort as a military camp and the British, as well as others that settled in Bagamoyo, used it as a police post.

The whitewashed building is three stories high with buttresses and an enclosed courtyard. It is presently the headquarters of the Department of Antiquities who are working to maintain and restore the ruins in Bagamoyo. The fort can be visited free of charge.