November 4 is the 34th anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by Islamist students who held 52 U.S. diplomats hostage for 444 days. The 1979 crisis triggered a break in diplomatic relations between Iran and the United States and led to decades of mutual hostility. Today, the former embassy building houses a museum that is only occasionally open to the public. Here's a rare look inside the historic site. (Photos by AFP)
Inside The Former U.S. Embassy In Tehran
![A woman looks at mannequins representing American diplomats in one of the museum exhibits in the former U.S. Embassy.](https://gdb.rferl.org/bc068224-703f-428c-8e99-bf70fd0767be_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A woman looks at mannequins representing American diplomats in one of the museum exhibits in the former U.S. Embassy.
![Typewriters and photographs that belonged to American diplomatic staff are on display.](https://gdb.rferl.org/54f79203-93d0-4013-af7a-d57e066d32cf_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Typewriters and photographs that belonged to American diplomatic staff are on display.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/8a6f57ae-e6be-4b0d-a1d4-0b2e18e604fb_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![A man looks at photographs from the 1979 hostage crisis.](https://gdb.rferl.org/dc38f33c-2d90-43ea-a6b8-9bb71246ef61_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A man looks at photographs from the 1979 hostage crisis.
![A visitor looks at a room with its original 1979 equipment and furnishings.](https://gdb.rferl.org/48c3a791-709f-48c4-9899-4b2a0e0dfbcd_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A visitor looks at a room with its original 1979 equipment and furnishings.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/4e3f8482-1dfa-4bcc-980a-39cf661d0750_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![A woman walks past a mock Statue of Liberty decorated with prison bars outside the main building of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran.](https://gdb.rferl.org/dadf8cad-36e0-422b-8b17-5acfb3443c74_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A woman walks past a mock Statue of Liberty decorated with prison bars outside the main building of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran.