The grand stone edifice surrounded by a lush garden of pine trees and roses, now called the Ticho House, was originally built in the late 19th century by an Arab dignitary. It was purchased in 1924 by Dr Abraham Ticho, an Austrian-born ophthalmologist who ran the mansion as an eye clinic, saving hundreds of Palestinian Arabs from blindness. Following his death, Dr Ticho’s wife, Anna, donated the building as an art centre and museum, for which it is still used today.