A UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, Safranbolu was once a stop on the Silk Road connecting Europe and the Orient. Today, it’s a tourist destination famous for its well-preserved Ottoman houses and 17th-century caravansarai. Less well known is the nearby city of Karabük, the provincial capital, which grew up around the steel plant built in the 1930s as part of the industrial development of the early Turkish Republic. Tale of Misty City compares the historical development of the two cities, highlighting the role of cultural conditions in shaping local development and urban architecture.