Based on the story by A.S. Byatt, The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye, Three Thousand Years of Longing follows Alithea, a professor who lives on her own, occasionally afflicted with visions of demons. On a trip to Istanbul, Alithea happens upon a unique glass bottle at a Bazaar and purchases it. When she cleans the bottle with a toothbrush, a powerful Djinn (Idris Elba) suddenly emerges from it and asks Alithea the three wishes her heart desires most. Alithea, the erudite scholar she is, knows that Djinns are tricksters, prompting Djinn to tell the story of how he ended up trapped in his glass prison. The film's story then recants three tales of Djinn's past, helping Alithea trust him and finally make her three wishes.