Legation

Courtyard of the U.S. Legation in Tangier, Morocco
The Old Korean Legation Museum in Washington, D.C.

A legation was a diplomatic representative office of lower rank than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an ambassador, a legation was headed by a minister. Ambassadors outranked ministers and had precedence at official events. Legations were originally the most common form of diplomatic mission, but they fell out of favor after World War II and were upgraded to embassies.