Situated on the south-east side of Mombasa Island, the Old Town covers an area of 72 hectares (180 acres), and is inhabited by a mix of Swahili, Arab, Persian, Indian, Asian, Portuguese and British settlers.

Due to its heritage, It is a major tourist attraction in Kenya with a large part of its economy dependent on tourism-related activities.

In 1997, the Old Town and Fort Jesus were submitted by the National Museums of Kenya for selection in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

Buildings in the Old Town are mostly Swahili, however, the many other ones are influenced by Mombasa's trade culture and foreign occupation, with many examples of colonial Portuguese styles from the 16th century and modern Islamic architecture.

Another key feature of most buildings are the finely decorated wooden doors with rich carvings, bas-reliefs and brass studs of Indian tradition.