The Green House, Art Deco building in Jaffa, Israel

The Green House is the nickname of a building with greenish walls at 91 Yefet Street in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, at the junction of Yefet and Shvut Israel streets, a crossing known as Haj Kahil. It was built in the Art Deco style, and its ceilings are decorated with paintings.

The building was put up in 1934, when Tel Aviv and neighboring Jaffa were going through a rapid urban transformation shaped by European architectural currents. During that period, many architects trained in Europe settled in the region and brought Art Deco and Bauhaus ideas with them.

The building takes its name from the green color of its facade, which sets it apart from most other structures in the area. Visitors walking past can study the geometric ornaments and the symmetrical layout of the front at close range.

The building is in Jaffa and can be reached on foot from central Tel Aviv or from the seafront promenade without much effort. Daylight is the best time to visit if you want to see the facade details clearly.

The house was built in 1934 for Sheikh Ali, a Jaffa fabric merchant and orchard owner. During Israel's War of Independence he left Jaffa and the building was taken over by the IDF, which housed its intelligence department there under Isser Be'eri. Until early 2022 it served as the military court for the central, general staff, air force and home front commands.