The novel is set in the 13th century, after the defeat of the Crusades and the capture of a number of Franks in Egypt. The protagonist is a European knight who is taken prisoner, transferred between prisons, and subjected to humiliation and helplessness. His life is transformed when he is released. Due to an illness, he finds his way to Fustat, where he is welcomed by an Egyptian Christian family, and a new chapter of his life begins. He discovers a vibrant city where churches, mosques, and temples stand side by side. He interacts with doctors, scholars, and religious figures, and sees Cairo and Fustat from within-not as enemy territory, but as a vibrant, human world.