(Laila) An orphan girl living in a room in a house (Zenobia), living in an apartment in the same house three friends (Nour, Issam, Adel), competing (Issam) and (just) to win her love, while (Nour) (Nour) to marry his rich cousin's daughter and his engagement to (Laila), (Laila) serious illness requires surgery, and can (Zenobia) with (Nur), (Essam) ), And (just) the amount of money necessary for the process that succeeds, and finally the danger to Laila.

This film is based on a novel from 1947 by the Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz. The story takes place during WWII and focuses on Al-Madak Alley, a teeming back street in Cairo which is presented as the microcosm of the world. A barber is in love with a young poor girl, who lives with her mother, and gets a job in an English Army camp to earn enough money for their marriage. But he is not the only one who wants to marry this girl and when the barber returns, she is gone.

Dr. Mamdouh suffers from his wife's jealousy, although he is faithful,while his brother, Massoud has a wife who is always busy with the children. Ezzat, their cousin, advises them to follow his approach with his wife Saneya: he cheats on her, and at the same time showers her with love and respect.

The everyday lives, loves and dreams of a slightly kooky modern middle-class Egyptian family in the early 1960's.

Mahgoub is a villager who moves to Cairo in search of a better life. When he enlists friend Salem's help to find him a job, Salem not only gets him a job at the ministry where he works but he finds him a bride as well. But the bride is the mistress of Qasem Bek, who will be visiting her once a week.