1111 NIGHTS

1111 NIGHTS EPISODE 01: BAGDHAD, 769 AD SCENE 1: 1. EXT. DESERT. DAY “In times gone by when there were still kings, djinns and monsters on this earth, there lived on the islands of India and China two princesses, and they were sisters. The eldest was named Scheherazade and the youngest Dunyazad. But their father was killed in a war and they lost all their fortune and were sold into slavery. They were taken to Baghdad, where Caliph Harun Al-Rashid, the enlightened, reigned. It was the beginning of the Golden Age of Islam…” The sun shines mercilessly on a vast desert, the air simmers from the heat. In the distance, a caravan is slowly approaching, appearing on the top of a sand dune, camels and horses, with riders in white bedouin suits with turbans, there are elegant chariots for the Noblemen, wagons for food and merchandise, and at the end of the caravan, cages with iron bars for the slaves. In one of the cages, Sheherazade and Dunyazad, two beautiful Yeminite Princesses, are bound in iron, their heads shaved, they are dressed in rags. Sheherazade is the oldest, her skin is almost black, and her eyes are green, Dunyazad is the youngest, with fairer skin and blue eyes. A rider approaches and whips the horses, the two sisters are scared, they watch at the horizon, looking for deliverance. In the distance, shimmering minarets. A sprawling settlement full of tents and bazaars surrounds large fortified walls, forming a perfect circle, the caravan passes through makeshift tents and approaches the gates of the the town. Inside of the fortifications is the majestic Bagdad, with the emerald dome of Madinat al-Salam, the Caliph’s palace in the middle, the straight avenues leading from the gates to the center are full with people and animals, bustling with life and noise. The Tigris river winds through the city, merchant boats unload their goods from foreign countries. The city is surrounded by the vast desert, the sun shines upon all of its wonders. Through the streets walks Jafar al-Barmaki, the son of the Grand Vezyr. He's dressed in a golden turban and magnificent silk robes embroidered with gemstones, the guards make way for him as he passes through the crowded avenues and reaches one of the iron gates in the circular wall. His piercing dark violet eyes are watching what is going on in the city, the bustling streets full of chattering merchants from Syria, Egypt and many other countries, all in colorful clothes, with different skin colors, speaking various languages, selling African ivory, Indian teak, Chinese porcelain and many other goods from around the world... Jafar goes to the slave market, where he notices the two black-skinned sisters, beautiful slave girls from Yemen, Scheherazade and Dunyazad. He falls in love with both of them at first sight and buys them at an auction, paying a great sum of Drahim. Then he takes them to the palace in Baghdad and they become his favorites. Jafar’s father, Yahya ibn Khalid, the Grand Vezyr of Baghdad, the closest man to the Caliph himself, and his family, the Barmakis, are very linked to the Caliph and extremely influential. The young Caliph Harun al-Rashid is an enlightened man, beloved by his people, who set up the Bayt al-Hikma library where all the books of wisdom in the world are kept and translated into Arabic. The palace of Baghdad forms a labyrinth of rooms and corridors leading into alcoves and courtyards, the gardens are laced with roses, dotted with splashing fountains, and ornamented with strutting peacocks. The Caliph and his entourage stroll, converse and relax amid a scene that inspires delicate lyric poetry and magical tales… This is a world where sorcerers, magic and demons still exist, but are being replaced by science and faith with the support of the Caliph - and of Allah...

SECOND NIGHT SAPPHO OF LESVOS, 669 BC A woman's voice: "In the long-forgotten times when there were still kings, djinns and monsters on this earth, there lived on the island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea, two princesses, and they were sisters. The eldest was called Sappho and the youngest Echo...