Official residences or offices of ambassadors in foreign countries. The diplomatic missions representing one country's interests in another nation.
From Old French 'ambassée', from Italian 'ambasciata', ultimately from a Germanic word meaning 'service, office'. The concept developed from medieval practices of sending official messengers between courts. Embassy buildings became sovereign territory of the sending nation.
Embassies exist in a fascinating legal limbo - they're technically the sovereign territory of their home country, even when located abroad. This creates unique situations where someone can literally step from one country into another just by walking through an embassy door, leading to dramatic asylum cases throughout history.
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