A fisherman's son is offered the ultimate privilege to study at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the epicenter of power of Sunni Islam. Shortly after his arrival, the university’s highest ranking religious leader, the Grand Imam, dies and the young student becomes a pawn in a ruthless power struggle between Egypt's religious and political elite.

Veysel's wild solitary life in the woods is disrupted when the land he inhabits is sold to investors. One day, his younger brother Hasan comes from the city to convince him to leave. As the imminent threat of the eviction rapidly grows, the belated confrontation of the two brothers leads to the discovery of a magical home: A hidden universe in the heart of the forest.