Hasan, who lives in a town in Anatolia, and his cousin Yusuf fall in love with a woman named Elif. Elif also falls in love with one of the two men, but she does not reveal to anyone which one it is. Just then, all men capable of bearing arms are called to the Çanakkale Front. Before leaving for the front, Yusuf decides to confess his feelings to Elif, telling her that Hasan loves someone else, and secretly takes the thyme-scented handkerchief Elif made for Hasan. Yusuf, Hasan, and the other volunteers set off for the front and encounter Karagöz Puppeteer Rüstem Çavuş, who is on an expedition with Istanbul-born Eftal. During this time, some of the volunteers are killed in an attack at Anzac, while Hasan, Yusuf, Çopur, Rüstem Çavuş, and Istanbul-born Eftal are taken to a prisoner-of-war camp.

The son of a Muslim emperor, Mahmut rejects his father's values and advocates a humanitarian approach to running the empire he will inherit. For him, there are more important things than power over others - namely the love he cherishes for Meryem, the daughter of a Christian monk. Rejecting the path chosen for him, Mahmut embarks on a dangerous journey looking for his love Meryem. It is this journey through a land in turmoil which will change both Mahmut and Meryem.