It once stood as a symbol of authority at the harbour front, but today it is dwarfed by glass-covered highrise office blocks.
The Old Boma, an imposing white building at the junction of Morogoro Road and Sokoine Drive in downtown Dar es Salaam, stands proudly as a symbol the city’s heritage.
It has high Zanzibar style carved wooden doors, the walls are coral stone and the flat roof is typical Arabian architecture.
Built in 1866 as a royal guest house during the reign of Sultan Majid bin Said, it later became the administrative offices of the German and British colonial rule, and after Independence in 1961 served as government offices.
During the reign of the sultans, the Old Boma stood as a symbol of authority at the harbour front, but today it is dwarfed by glass-covered highrise office blocks, shining in the coastal sun. Dar es Salaam has grown from a sleepy trade post to a metropolis of around six million people and is one of the fastest growing cities on the continent.
Currently, the impressive old white structure is appropriately the home of the Dar es Salaam Centre for Architectural Heritage (Darch), a tourist information centre and which hosts a permanent exhibition on the architectural evolution of Dar es Salaam.
Darch was formed in 2013. With partenrs, it oversees restoration and renovation works on old buildings, educates communities and visitors through walking tours and outreach programmes, and preserves the skill set needed for architectural heritage through university courses.
Darch chief executive Aida Mulokozi said since they started their work, the widespread demolition of Dar es Salaam’s historical buildings has abated.
“Some of the iconic and identifiable structures in the city have been erased and if there isn’t an intervention now, there is a risk we could lose many buildings which have historical importance,” said Ms Mulokozi.