Avraham Shapira's House, Heritage building in Petah Tikva, Israel.

Avraham Shapira's House is a single-story building at 20 Herzl Street, constructed by Shapira himself between 1905 and 1907. Its walls are made of kurkar stone covered with plaster, the roof is tiled, and the ceiling is of wooden boards. Large windows with green wooden shutters and decorated floor tiles remain, and a row of cypress trees leads from the street to a statue of Shapira on horseback.

Avraham Shapira built the house himself between 1905 and 1907 and lived there until his death on 28 December 1965. In 1957 he decided to give it to the Petah Tikva municipality, which planned a room for his personal weapons, photographs and gifts from Arab sheikhs, plus a cultural institution named after him and his wife. He died before anything was done; only in 1978, after the death of his son Mendel, were the rooms cleared for that purpose.

The house displays how early settlers furnished and lived in their homes during the founding years. You see furniture and everyday items from that period, giving a sense of daily life in a new community.

The house is a single-story building at 20 Herzl Street, entered from the street along a row of cypress trees, with a statue of Avraham Shapira on horseback in front. There are no indoor stairs, so all rooms are on one level. Since the house now serves as a culture center for events, check opening times before arriving.

The weapons are shown in a room, not the courtyard: the city council decided in 1957 to dedicate a room to Shapira's personal weapon, his photographs and gifts he received from Arab sheikhs for brokering peace. The displays were only installed after 1978, when his son Mendel's rooms were cleared.