A Thousand and One Nights

Aldin, a poor traveling water seller, attends a slave auction in Baghdad hoping for a better life. A sudden sandstorm disrupts the auction, giving him a chance to seize Miriam, the enslaved woman he loves. He escapes with her and they vanish from the market, starting a dangerous flight together.

Aldin and Miriam hide in what appears to be an empty mansion to elude pursuit. They give in to their passion there, but the master, Shalieman, watches secretly and then locks them inside, forcing them to continue against their will.

Badli, the chief of police's right-hand man, brings a woman to the thieves' hideout where a wild party is underway. Kamahakim, the leader, disperses everyone and Madia leaves to swim. Badli's attempt to kiss her ends in rape, and she vows revenge.

Havasalakum and his guards raid the mansion, capturing Miriam. Badli murders Shalieman during the chaos, and Aldin is tortured and imprisoned on charges of Shalieman's murder. In a final tragedy, Miriam dies in childbirth.

One year later, Aldin is freed and encounters Badli in the desert. He spares Badli and continues on with a thief into Kamahakim's cave, where he begins stealing the thieves' treasure. Madia awakens, threatens him, but he persuades her to join him and see the world anew.

Aldin and Madia flee on a magical wooden horse across the sea. Their escape ends in catastrophe when living hair pulls them down into the depths, and they drown.

The pair wash ashore on Lotus Island, home to beautiful Sirens led by Lamia. Madia grows jealous and departs on the magic horse, while Aldin stays among the Sirens, entangled in their sensual world.

Lamia and the Sirens transform into serpents to chase Aldin, who escapes and is rescued by sailors. He then travels to a mysterious island inhabited by a man-eating giant, continuing his perilous journey.

Aldin discovers a magical, sentient ship capable of taking him anywhere and fulfilling nearly any wish. Fifteen years later, two genies on a carpet meet a shepherd named Aslan, with the female genie falling for him and the male genie complicating matters by bringing a Baghdad princess named Jalis into the mix.

The male genie teleports Jalis away when things go wrong, while the female genie transforms into a horse to help Aslan reach Baghdad. When Aslan and Princess Jalis cross paths in the desert, the genie disappears, leaving their fates intertwined with Aldin's wanderings.

Meanwhile, Aldin returns to Baghdad as a rich man and enters a competition to become king. He wins by tricking his opponent onto his magical ship and commanding it to the end of the world. He tries to marry Princess Jalis, who turns out to be Miriam's daughter, but she loves Aslan.

The people revolt against Aldin's rule, led by Muhammad bin Sabaik, his former second-in-command. Not prepared for the burdens of kingship, he relinquishes the throne to travel the world as a poor man again, discovering the value of freedom and peace.

Having renounced power, Aldin learns to value freedom and peace over domination. He chooses a life of wandering and discovery, embracing the lessons learned from his tumultuous journey.